Kindred Spirits
by CoolDiva
Summary: The original blue and yellow rangers finally see what everyone else have always seen. But will a bitter ex succeed in wrecking things? BillyTrini. M for language and all.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own the characters that weren't seen on the show and a really cute pair of shoes.**

**This a fic starring Billy and Trini! I've mentioned other future fics in my profile. Decided to go ahead with this one first. Not enough B/T fics around. Which is a shame. (shakes head)**

**Other couplings: Jason/Kim, Rocky/Kat (Couldn't resist pairing these two again. Don't know why), Tommy/OC, Adam/Tanya, Zack/Aisha, TriniOC (for now) ;-)**

**Age: 25**

**Anyway, on with the fic.**

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**Kindred Spirits**

**(Trini's Apartment)**

**(October- 1st week)**

Trini Kwan sighed in relief after putting away the last of her groceries on Friday evening. She'd gone to the supermarket directly after leaving Angel Grove Gazette_- _where she had a job as a writer, of course. Anyway, her refrigerator had been looking quite pitiful, so, a trip to the store had been absolutely necessary.

The lovely, dark-haired, Asian-American woman placed her hands on her hips and looked around the well-lit kitchen. Now... what would she do for dinner? Cook? Takeout? TV dinner? Or maybe she'd call up twenty-five-year-old Detective Steven Knight- the guy she'd been seeing for the last six months- and see if he wanted to get together for dinner.

'_Hmm. I think I like the last option best_,' she thought with a smile as she picked up the phone. Just as she was about to make the call, the phone decided to ring. The name Jason L. Scott flashed across the caller ID screen. "Hello?"

"Hey, Tri!" came Kimberly Scott's voice. Kim and Jason'd been married a year. As for occupations, Kim was a personal shopper and Jason ran a dojo with Adam.

"Hey, Kim. What's up?" Trini asked her lifelong best friend, leaning against the counter.

"Not much. I was calling 'cause I haven't heard from ya in awhile. How are you? And Steve? And things at work?" Kim asked, that familiar bubbliness creeping into her voice.

Trini couldn't help grinning at that. She and Kim were almost total opposites, but, they'd always been closer than blood-related sisters. "Fine to all your questions. How've you and Jase been?"

"Actually, that's the other reason I was calling," Kim replied.

Trini quirked an eyebrow. "Is everything okay with you guys?" she asked in concern.

"Oh, we're not having any problems! Everything's fine," Kim assured the original yellow ranger. "I just wanted to tell you that we've planned a little romantic getaway for next weekend."

"Oh, that's fantastic, Kim. Where are you guys heading?" Trini asked with genuine interest.

"Well, nowhere very far. We're going to this bed and breakfast in Sacramento," Kim said.

"That sounds great, but, the idea of Jason at a bed and breakfast is more than a little funny for some reason," Trini said with a chuckle.

"Yeah," Kim agreed with a laugh. "Aisha and Zack said the same thing." Zack and Aisha'd gotten married six months earlier. Zack was, naturally, a dance instructor and Aisha was manager of an animal shelter.

Kim and Trini continued to chat for the next half-hour. After saying goodbye to her friend, Trini began dialing one of the many numbers she knew by heart. Insistent knocking at the door stopped her in mid-dial.

"Huh.Who could that be?" she muttered as she exited the kitchen and headed for the door. The knocking quickly became more insistent. "I'm coming!" Honestly! She opened the door to find none other than Steve himself there. A grin lit her face. "Hi. I was just about to call you. Come on in."

He sighed deeply and entered the apartment. Then, he began pacing back and forth. Trini frowned after closing and locking the door.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

He stopped pacing and looked at her. "Trini, I've been thinking."

"About?" she asked, walking over to him.

"Well... look, I'm gonna get right to the point, okay? No beating around the bush. I'll just come right out and say it," he said.

"Go ahead," she urged gently.

"I mean, there's no point in babbling. It's always best to just say what's on your mind, right? Why dance around things? People should really-" he was saying.

Trini held up her hand. "Steve, you're doing an excellent job of beating around the bush right now," she said with a laugh. "Just tell me what you've been thinking."

"Okay. Well, Trini... I think we should move in together," he said, looking into her eyes.

Trini's jaw dropped. Whoa! Unexpected wasn't even the word. Move in together? That was what he'd been thinking? That they should live together?

"I mean, think about it! You can't say it isn't a great idea. You can't say it doesn't make sense," he said.

Trini just gaped at her boyfriend. Move in together? Really?

Steve took her hand and led her over to the couch and they both sat. "Tri, it'll be fantastic. I love knowing that you'll be there every night when I come home. There's nobody I'd rather come home to. What do ya say?"

Trini finally rediscovered her voice. "Steve, I... I think it's too soon."

His eyebrows shot up. "Too soon?"

"Yeah. I mean... we haven't even been together a year," she said. Move in together? Not long ago, her biggest problem had been what to do for dinner!

"I know it's kinda fast, but, life moves. Besides, we love each other, don't we?" he said.

"That doesn't mean we should be living together right now. That's a huge step," she said. Love each other. Okay. But they'd told each other that barely a month ago!

"It's a step we're ready to take! Tri, if you know it's right, why wait?" he said.

"We both have to think it's right, Steve," she said.

His green eyes darkened. "So you're saying you're not sure about me and our future?"

"Future? Steve, we've barely been together six months. What's wrong with wanting to take time with things? Usually, that's how you get the best results. There are still things we don't even know about each other," she said. Was he really serious here?

"I know all I need to. I know that you're it for me. Why wait years to find out something I know already?" he said, throwing his hands up.

"There you go again. What _you_ know. How _you_ feel. Steve, there're two people in this relationship. Living together is a very serious matter. If we do this now, we'll find out that we made a tremendous mistake," she said.

"How can you possibly be so sure of that?" he asked.

"Because, like I said, we haven't even been together long enough-" she was saying.

"Dammit, Trini!" he exploded. Her eyebrows shot up. "This is frigging ridiculous! I can't believe you're saying no. I can't, I can't do this anymore."

"What are you saying?" she asked warily. She couldn't believe he couldn't see her point.

"I'm saying that... if you don't wanna take this step, then, there's no way we can go on," he said.

"You're joking, right? You have to be. You aren't really gonna break up with me over something like this. That would be crazy, Steve," she said.

"Not to me. Trini, I want an adult relationship. If you don't, then, what's the point in staying together?" he said, standing.

"Steve, wait a minute. All I said was that we should take things slow. That doesn't mean I don't want-" she was saying.

"I thought we were on the same page. I was wrong," he said.

"You want me to prove my feelings by doing something I don't feel ready to do. That's really unfair, Steve. Why can't you respect my wishes? What's wrong with you?" she asked, standing. There was more than a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Why can't you respect mine?" he shot back.

"Because they're outrageous. We've only known each other a few months and you-" she was saying.

"You're not onboard!" he yelled. "I need to find someone who is."

"You mean a brainless windup doll who'll do whatever you want whenever you want. Good luck with that. Get out," Trini said, pointing to the door. She no longer wanted to look at him. If this was really who he was, she wanted him to be on his merry way.

"Happy to oblige," he snapped. "Guess I don't have to say we're finished."

"Right you are," she said coolly, still pointing to the door.

He glared at her for several moments, muttered a curse and stormed towards the door.

* * *

**Me and those unlikable OCs. If ya read it, hope ya liked it. If so, show a little love by reviewing. Don't be stingy now. ;-)**


	2. Chapter 2

**If you're wondering why all the fast updates, I don't have any-frigging-thing to do right now, LOL! **

**Anyway, I decided go on with chapter two. I'm still trying to get storylines together for this fic, so, bear with me, plz. **

**Thanks to those who reviewed. Keep the support comin'. :-)**

* * *

**(Reefside)**

**(Next Day)**

Tommy Oliver looked at the cereal box Trisha Meadows- his girlfriend of nine months- was holding in distaste. "No. No way. Who eats Raisin Bran?"

The twenty-five-year-old, brown-eyed, blonde woman smirked at the paleontologist. "I do."

"Because you're not yet one hundred percent normal," he said, his gorgeous eyes dancing with amusement.

"True. After all, I am going out with _you_," she said with a look of mock seriousness.

He smirked. "Side-splitting hilarious. They're having amateur night at the comedy club. You want me to drop you off later?"

She rolled her eyes and laughed. He grinned and they continued down the aisle. It was Saturday afternoon and they'd arrived at the supermarket ten minutes earlier. The black Dino Thunder ranger looked over at the woman walking next to him and his grin widened.

"I gotta say, baby, I'm really glad your last three weekends have been free," he said. Trisha was a physical therapist.

She nodded and grinned. "That makes the two of us. I can hardly believe my luck."

"Yeah. But when's it gonna run out, though?" he said, lifting his eyebrows.

"Let's not think about that. If I think about it, I'll get upset and turn to a million containers of ice cream. We'll have to get bigger doorways," she said, waving her hand dismissively. He laughed and she chuckled. "Instead, let's picture ourselves on a beautiful, tropical island."

"Oh, that works. What are you wearing in this fantasy?" he asked with a flirtatious smile.

"Viewer's choice," she said with a sexy wink.

"Oh, it _definitely_ works. I better keep quiet, though. Young ears all around," he said- causing her to laugh. Then, her eyebrows shot up.

"Hey, isn't that Trini's boyfriend?" she asked.

Tommy looked ahead to see Steven Knight. "Yep, that's him."

"I thought so. Why don't we go say hi?" Trisha suggested.

"Sure," Tommy said with a casual shrug. The couple headed up to the detective. "Steve. Hey, man."

Steve looked up from the contents he'd been scanning. "Oh, Tommy. Hey, man. Hi, Trisha. How're you guys doing?"

"We're great. So, what's up? Why're you in Reefside?" Tommy asked casually as he curled an arm around Trisha's waist.

"Police business?" Trisha asked.

"Nah. I was visiting a relative of mine for a bit and I decided to pick up a few things while I was here," Steve said. Tommy and Trisha nodded. Then, Steve sighed in annoyance and shook his head. "Damn it all to hell."

"What's wrong?" Trisha asked, exchanging a glance with Tommy.

"Trini and I broke up," Steve said angrily.

Tommy's eyebrows shot up and Trisha gasped.

"Wow. I had no idea, man. When did it happen?" Tommy asked.

"Yesterday," Steve said.

"What, what happened?" Trisha asked with a frown.

"I asked her to move in with me and she said no. She said no. Can you believe it?" Steve asked, throwing his hands up.

'_Wow! Talk about living in the fast lane_,' Trisha thought.

"She said we weren't ready. What the hell is that?" Steve said, shaking his head. "So I broke up with her."

Tommy looked over at Trisha. No way had Steve broken up with Trini over something so... moronic. No way. This guy couldn't have been that frigging stupid. It just wasn't possible. It made no sense at all.

"It's so stupid. I want an adult relationship. I thought I had one! But it was all a big waste of time. So was Trini. She really needs to grow the hell up. Seriously. I can't believe I ever fell for-" Steve was saying.

"Whoa. Hit the brakes there, Steve. I'm not gonna stand here and let you slam one of my best friends like that," Tommy said.

"Hey, whatever, all right? I stand by what I say," Steve said.

Tommy glared at him, annoyance coursing through his veins now. "Keep talking and you won't be standing for much longer. Trini's one of the most mature people I know and-evidently- way too damn good for a loser like you. _You're_ the waste of time."

"I have a right to be pissed," Steve snapped. "What do you think, Trisha? Are you with me on this?"

"Actually, I can see where Trini's coming from. It does seem to be soon. And I think ending the relationship because of it wasn't the... most rational move," Trisha said.

Steve scoffed and shook his head. "Unbelievable. Are _all_ women really this childish and idiotic?"

Trisha's eyes flashed. "What the hell? You sonuva- for two cents, I'd-" she was saying. Tommy grabbed her arm when she made a menacing step towards the police officer. Tommy gave Steve a look that should've had the power to at least render a person unconscious.

"Insult my girlfriend or Trini again and you'll get ripped a new one, got it?" Tommy said in a rock-hard tone. He'd always thought this guy was decent enough. But Trini was a helluva lot better off.

Steve looked at Tommy, then, Trisha. He snorted. "Oh, the hell with this crap." Then, he turned and stormed off.

"That's really unbelievable. I never would've guessed in a million years that he was a total ass," Trisha said, shaking her head.

"Yeah. I'm gonna give Tri a call later and see how she's doing," Tommy said, wondering if any of his other friends knew.

"Good idea, sweetie. I know she'll soon realize that she's better off," Trisha said.

"She sure as hell is," Tommy said as he and Trisha began moving again.

* * *

"Fries with mayonnaise? Please tell me you're kidding. If you truly love me, say you're kidding," Adam Park said to his wife of two years. 

Tanya Park- who was five months pregnant with a boy- laughed at her husband's expression. "I'm one hundred percent serious, baby. Sorry." Sometimes, she grossed him out on purpose with her cravings. But, this time, she was actually in the mood for mayo-covered fries.

The couple was sitting in their kitchen and they'd been talking about Tanya's job- she worked at a record company- until Tanya's billionth craving had decided to check in. Much to Adam's disgust. He looked at his wife with a curled upper lip.

"I really am lucky to be a guy," he said, standing and heading over to the freezer.

Tanya laughed and nodded. "You better believe it, boy," she said. Then, she shook her head and began rubbing her belly. "Oh, man. I can't believe I'll be looking like a mansion in a couple months."

"A gorgeous mansion," he said with a teasing smile as he retrieved the bag of fries.

She smirked. "Cute."

"I really, really am, aren't I?" he said, mock arrogance.

"Definitely," she said seriously. Then, she grinned. "It's my sole purpose for marrying you."

"Should I take that as a compliment?" he quipped.

"If you don't want your butt kicked- Dune Star style," she said, her brown eyes dancing.

He laughed. "I'll shut up now since butt-kickings are never any fun," he said. Then, he snorted. "Fries with mayo. Wow."

"Hey, blame AJ," she said.

"AJ?" he queried.

"Adam Jr," she said- causing him to smile.

"You know, as excited as I am about our son, I'd kinda hoped for a daughter. A mini version of you running around," he said.

"Would you really have wanted that?" she asked with a laugh.

"_More_ you? Top of my Christmas wish list," he said seriously.

A warmth filled Tanya's soul. "You're sweeter than chocolate, Mr. Park."

"Now, I know _that_'_s_ a compliment," he said, nodding and causing her to laugh. "I love you."

"I love you, too, baby," she said with a soft smile.

He grinned and turned on the stove. Suddenly, Tanya's eyes lit up.

"Ooh! You know what else I'm craving for right now?" she said eagerly.

Adam's eyes widened in horror. "Oh, dear God, no! Say _nothing_."

* * *

Trini stood in front of Billy's apartment a couple hours later, her slim arms folded over her chest, waiting for him to answer the door. She'd arrived at the original blue ranger's a few minutes earlier. She wanted to talk with him about Steve.

Several moments later, Billy Cranston opened the door and a smile lit his face at the sight of the former yellow ranger.

"Trini! Come on in," he said, stepping aside.

She smiled at the computer engineer and entered his apartment. "Hey, Billy."

"I must say, this is a pleasant surprise," he said as they headed over to his sofa. He hadn't seen Trini in weeks.

"Yeah. I was beginning to forget what you looked like," she said- causing him to laugh.

"I understand what you mean. It has been awhile," he said, nodding.

"Right," she agreed.

"So... how are things?" he asked, then, winced inwardly. '_That was beautiful, Billy. This is Trini and you're talking to her like you've known her twenty minutes instead of twenty years_.'

Trini sighed heavily and shook her head. "Actually, things aren't so peachy."

Concern filled him instantly. "What's the matter?"

"Well... Steve and I broke up," she said quietly. So many different emotions were wrestling each other inside of her. So many questions had been running around in her head.

Billy's blonde eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Broke up? I certainly wasn't expecting to hear this. What happened?"

"He wanted us to live together and I told him I didn't think we were ready to take that step. He lost it. Ranting about how he wanted an adult relationship," she said. "He ended things."

'_He actually ended their relationship over a matter so absurd?_' Billy thought. Any respect he'd had for Steve was now gone.

"All I said was that it's too soon and that we needed to get to know each other a little better before making such a serious move," she said.

"Well, I concur. Completely. I'm really sorry, Trini," he said, genuine sympathy in his eyes.

"Me, too. I thought Steve was a great guy. Wonderful guy. I can't believe how incredibly wrong I was about him. I'm usually a pretty good judge of people," she said.

"You are. You're still the smart, perceptive person you've always been. But you made an error in judgment simply because you're still only human," he said.

She half-smiled and squeezed his hand.

"Do the others know of the breakup?" he asked.

"Tommy and Trish. They saw Steve at a store in Reefside," she replied.

"Well, I really am sorry things didn't work out. But if that's really the sort of person he is...breaking up was the best thing he could've done for you because you deserve so much better, Trini," Billy said seriously.

"Why do you always know just what to say, William?" she said, squeezing his hand once again.

He grinned and a teasing glint appeared in his eye. "It's one of my many unique talents."

"Ah. Use it wisely," she said, mock serious. They laughed and she hugged him.

He pulled away slightly to look into her eyes. "It's his loss."

* * *

**If ya liked it, prove it. ;-)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's the next installment. Hope I can continue to keep everybody's interest.**

**Oh, I got a negative review on one of my other fics. So annoying. A very immature person. What is WRONG with people? I state the main pairing in every summary of every story I write. Why read/review if you HATE the pairing(s)? Get a life, wack jobs!**

**Okay, rant stopped. I just had to vent. Hope nobody minded. ;-)**

* * *

**(Later that day)**

Rocky DeSantos stood in front of his bathroom mirror, practicing. It was five-thirty in the evening and he'd been at this for the last half-hour. He cleared his throat and stood up straight. Okay, maybe this time he'd get it.

"Kat, you are the most amazing thing that's ever happened to me. I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone. Will you marry me?" he said. Then, he groaned. It just didn't seem like enough somehow! It needed more.

He and Katherine Hillard had been involved for a year and a half. Needless to say, she taught ballet while Rocky was a chef. Anyway, Rocky'd purchased an engagement ring a week ago. No one- not even Adam- knew. True, Rocky'd never been the best secret-keeper, but, when it was something this important... hell, he'd duct tape his mouth if necessary.

'_I hope she likes the ring. I hope she says yes. Oh, God, I hope she says yes!_' he thought as he stared down at the ring he was holding.

He was ready to officially start a life with her. He was ready for the world to see just how much Kat meant to him. He only hoped she was... .

* * *

Jason groaned as Kimberly dragged him into yet another store in Angel Grove Mall a little later that evening. One thing that'd probably never change about Kim was her love for shopping. The same went for Aisha, too. 

Kim looked over her shoulder at her husband and rolled her eyes. "Oh, you poor baby," she said sarcastically. "Suck it up, Rex."

"Just remind me why _I_ have to be here," he said in an almost whiny tone.

"Because you don't wanna be sleeping on the couch for the next couple weeks," she teased. He smirked and she laughed.

"Queen Comedy. Where's Aisha- your faithful, equally nutty, shopping partner?" he asked as he followed her through the store.

"She and Zack are having one-on-one time. And I'm so telling her you called us nutty so we can team up and kick your ass, Scott," Kim said.

He gasped in mock horror. "I better try to get into the witness protection program." he said, feigning fear. He laughed when she lightly punched his arm. "Well, how 'bout Trini, Kat, Tanya or Trish?"

"Trish and Tommy are also having one-on-one time. The same with Adam, Tanya, Kat and Rocky. I can't get in touch with Trini. She's probably off with Steve or something," Kim said.

"So, I had to be the victim," Jason said sadly.

"Yep," Kim said cheerfully. Just then, her cell phone rang. She removed it from the clip on her waistband. "It's Tri. Hey, Tri! What's up?"

"Hey, Kim. I was just calling to give you the latest on Steve and me. There is _no_ Steve and me anymore," Trini said.

Kim gasped and her eyes widened. Jason's eyebrows shot up and curiosity filled him. Kim frowned. "What happened, Trini?" When Trini had finished informing her of all that had gone down, Kim rolled her eyes. "What a moron! That's just one of the stupidest reasons to- you know what? You're better off. And way too good for him. Listen, I'm at the mall now. But if you wanna talk, I'll come-"

"No, no, no. That's okay. You go on and shop away. I mean that. We can talk later. Besides, I'm with Billy at the moment," Trini said.

"Oh. Okay. We're definitely talking later, though," Kim said seriously.

"You got it," Trini said. Then, they said goodbye.

"What happened? Is she okay?" Jason asked.

"Steve broke up with her yesterday because she's not ready to live with him. He lost it and ended the relationship," Kim reported.

"You're yanking me, right?" Jason said with a laugh. There was just no way in hell anyone was that stupid.

"I wish, sweetie. I had no idea he was such an unreasonable jackass," Kim said.

"Yeah. Talk about dumb-ass reasons for breaking up. I hate we ever thought he was a good guy," Jason said, shaking his head.

"Me, too," Kim said.

"She doesn't need him," Jason said.

"You got that right," Kim agreed.

* * *

"It's almost dinnertime," Trini said fifteen minutes later. 

"My stomach's well aware of that," Billy said with a laugh.

Trini grinned. "So's mine. Do you wanna order takeout?"

"Sure," he said, picking up the cordless phone.

Trini sat back on the couch and looked at him with a soft smile. She loved how she could talk to him about him about anything. It'd always been that way. He was so understanding and rational. They'd hit it off the second they'd met. She'd been drawn to his intellect, his quiet, kind of shy nature. Billy'd always had to deal with being called geek, dork, dweeb. But Trini had always seen him as a great guy with superior intelligence. She'd never been put off or overwhelmed by his intellect. She loved that he had a high IQ. As a woman, she found it to be a turn-on.

Billy looked at her when he was done ordering the Chinese. A smile lit his handsome face. "Trini, I'm really glad you came over."

"Me, too, Billy," she said.

He sighed. "Again, I'm really sorry about-"

"I know. But I know I'm gonna be fine. I know it. It's gonna take awhile, but, with friends like you and the others... I'll be just fine," she said honestly.

He nodded. "We'll always be here for you."

"And vice versa. I'm incredibly grateful for all of you. I know there are... better fish in the sea," she said with a laugh. He smiled. "And, when the time is right, I'll "hook" one."

"And I'm sure it'll be one who appreciates you for the exceptional person you are," he said seriously.

Trini looked at him and felt a little flutter. Huh? There was just something in her friend's tone and expression that... . She decided not to dwell on it. The lovely Asian woman smiled and embraced him once again. His arms easily came around her. "Thanks for being you," she said in a low voice.

He closed his eyes and tightened his hold on her.

* * *

Kat grinned when she entered Rocky's apartment. He'd invited her over for dinner. She gasped when she took in the sight before her. The furniture had been pushed aside and a table was in the center of the floor. The table had a dark tablecloth draped over it, there were two candles, two chairs- naturally- two glasses filled with champagne, delicious-smelling food. There was also soft music and the room was dim. 

Kat looked over at her grinning boyfriend. "Very romantique, Mr. DeSantos."

"Glad you approve, my fair senorita," he said. Then, he took his hand from behind his back and presented her with a bouquet of her favorite flowers.

Her heart warmed. "Oh, sweetie. They're so beautiful. Thank you," she said as she gratefully accepted them. She sniffed them delicately and grinned at him.

"You look even more amazing than usual," he said, before kissing her softly.

"Thank you. You look wonderful as well. But, you always clean up nice," she said teasingly- causing him to chuckle. Then, he presented his arm and she looped hers through it. They made their way over to the table.

"Before we dine, love, there's a certain matter that desperately needs to be taken care of first," he said.

"Someone's been spending quite a bit of time with William Cranston," Kat said with a smile.

"You better believe it. Next thing ya know, I'll develop a love for malls like Isha and Kim. Or a passion for ballet like milady," he said, his eyes dancing.

"Will you model a tutu for me?" she quipped.

"Sure. Right after it becomes physically possible for men to give birth," he said- causing her to laugh. Then, he pulled a chair out. "Have a seat, sweetheart."

She smiled and sat and lay the flowers on the table.

"Would you turn to face me, please?" he asked.

"Sure," she said, turning sideways.

'_Okay. Just go for it, Rocky. Go for it. No matter what happens, just remember that this woman loves you_,' he thought as he took a couple deep breaths.

Kat frowned in concern. "Are you okay, honey?"

"I'm good, I'm good. But I'd be a lot better if the most wonderful woman alive would agree to... be my wife," he said, looking into her eyes.

Kat's jaw dropped when he removed a small ring box from his pocket and opened it to reveal a gorgeous ring. "Oh, God," she whispered, placing her hand over her heart.

"I bought it last week," he said.

"It's beautiful," she murmured.

"Well, it had to match the person I wanted to give it to," he said seriously, then, he dropped down to one knee. "Kat, I spent a lotta time trying to come up with the best way to propose and... well, I guess all I can say is that I love you more than anybody, I've never gotten anything in my entire life more incredible than you and I'd love to spend my life trying to give you the happiness you deserve. Will you marry me, Miss Hillard?"

Tears had already filled her eyes and warmth had already filled her soul. She was feeling so much love right now for the man kneeling before her. She cupped his face. "I couldn't have wanted a better proposal. That was so beautiful, Rocky. I just love you so much and, of course, I'll marry you. I'd love to be Mrs. DeSantos. Nothing would make me happier."

Rocky couldn't even verbalize what he was feeling. So, he slipped the ring on her finger, then, leaned in and embraced her tightly. She closed her eyes and held him just as tightly.

* * *

**There will be more and LONGER B/T moments. I promise. I just had to get the whole marriage proposal thing in! Oh, and don't think we've seen and heard the last of Steve. Drama's not part of the genre for nothin'! Cya. ;-)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's chapter four. Shoutouts to Chylea3784, Zeopurple, Lonly Girl and Destiny45. Thanks for reviewing the previous chap. :)**

**I hope everybody's okay with this chapter.**

**Ready? Here we go...**

* * *

**(Next Saturday)**

It was now a week later and Trini was having lunch with Zack and Aisha Taylor at a cafe located on the outskirts of Angel Grove. The three former rangers were in the outside sitting area, enjoying good conversation and food.

Aisha looked down at her plate, then, up at Trini. "How you holding up, Tri?" Of course, everyone now knew of Trini and Steve's breakup.

"Well, I'm still sort of shocked that he's not who I thought he was. Disappointed, of course. But, for the most part, I'm doing okay. Thanks to you guys and the others," Trini said with a smile.

Zack flashed his megawatt grin at his lifelong friend, reached across the table and squeezed her hand. "You know we love ya, girl."

"I love you all, too, Zack," she said truthfully. Then, she sighed and shook her head. "It just really is too bad that Steve's-"

"A jackass?" Aisha supplied, cocking an eyebrow.

"I'm with wifey on this one, Tri," Zack said, draping his arm around Aisha's shoulders.

Trini laughed. "Actually, I was gonna say "so irrational". But jackass works just fine," she said- causing her friends to laugh.

"I know we've said this a million times already, but, you deserve so much better," Aisha said.

"And you'll _get_ better, Trini. You're a great catch. Steve's stupid. He's obviously been sniffing some of that gunpowder or something," Zack said- causing his wife and friend to laugh.

"Leave it to you to have me grinning like a maniac nonstop, Zachary. Never change, please," Trini said.

"No problem there," he said seriously.

Trini grinned. "Good. Now, why don't we change topics?"

"I'm all for that. What do you wanna talk about?" Aisha asked.

"How about you two? Do you guys have anything planned for tonight?" Trini asked.

"We're gonna do a little dance, make a little love... pretty much, you know, get down tonight," Zack said, mock serious. Aisha rolled her eyes and Trini laughed.

"We're having dinner at that new Italian restaurant," Aisha told her predecessor.

"And, afterwards, I'm thinking a drive up the coast," Zack said.

Aisha grinned at him. "We haven't done that in a while! And tomorrow, how about the IHOP for breakfast?"

"That works, baby. I don't care where we eat. As long as you're with me," he said, smiling at her.

"Aww," Aisha said, leaning into him. He kissed her nose and Trini couldn't help smiling at the sweet exchange.

"Hey, are Jase and Kim coming back from that bed-and-breakfast tomorrow morning or night?" Zack asked Trini.

"Night," she replied.

"We should go on a romantic getaway, baby," Aisha said to Zack.

"That's a great idea," Trini said, nodding.

"It is. Where'd you like to go, Ishe?" Zack asked.

"I don't know..." Aisha said.

"I have a few ideas if you're interested," Trini told her friends. Then, they spent the next half-hour discussing possible locations.

* * *

Billy put his car in 'park' after pulling into a spot in Java Land's parking lot a few hours later. Java Land was a coffeehouse in Stone Canyon. The former blue ranger got out of his car, closed and locked the door and was about to head towards the building until... 

"Billy! Hi."

He turned to see Trini hurrying up to him. An easy grin lit his face. "Hi, Trini."

"So, you're in a decaf mood as well, huh?" she said with a smile.

He laughed. "Affirmative."

Trini nodded, then, laughed. He raised his eyebrows questioningly. "Oh, I'm sorry. It's just that whenever you say affirmative, I start thinking of the looks on Zack, Kim and Jason's faces when they heard you say it for the first time."

The memory floated into Billy's mind and he laughed once again. "Yeah. It was always pretty humorous when they turned to you for translation of 'Billy-speak'," he said.

"Definitely," she agreed with a light laugh.

"I have to say, Trini... to this very day, a part of me is still stunned you guys became my friends," he said as they entered the coffeehouse.

"You shouldn't be, Billy," she said gently. "But, to tell the truth, I didn't think I'd find four close friends in kindergarten, either."

It'd been awkward that first day of kindergarten. Billy'd been too nervous and shy to say anything to anybody and Trini had calmly sat at a table by herself. Jason, Kim and Zack had known each other already because they'd attended preschool together- so the three of them had sat together.

But Kim and Zack- being the sociable, energetic people they were- had struck up conversations with both Billy and Trini. Jason had joined in as well. Next thing they knew, the five of them were at the same table.

"Twenty years," Billy said as they sat at a table together.

"It really doesn't seem like it's been that long," Trini said as a waitress came over. After relaying their orders, Billy looked at his friend.

"I apologize if you're tired of hearing this, but... how are you?" he asked.

"It's all right and I'm all right. I don't feel like doing cartwheels at the moment-" Trini was saying.

"But that's to be expected," he said.

"I was just about to say that," she said. They shared a grin. "But, as I said before, in time... everything will be fine."

"Yes, it will," he said, nodding.

The waitress returned with their coffee moments later.

"So, do you have any plans tonight, William?" Trini asked.

"I have nothing but a long night of boredom ahead of me, Trinity," he said with a chuckle.

"Maybe we should be bored together, then. Would you like to come over and watch a movie or two and just keep each other company?" she asked. It'd been quite awhile since she'd hung out with Billy one-on-one anyway.

"That sounds great. Congratulations. You just saved me from sheer tedium. You are a heroine," he teased.

"Fantastic. Will there be a statue of me in Angel Grove Park?" she quipped.

"I'll make a few calls," he quipped.

They both laughed, then, proceeded to talk about anything that came to mind.

* * *

Steve sat at his desk in the Angel Grove Police Department, wearing a thoughtful expression on his face. Other detectives kept shooting him wary looks. No surprise there. Steve'd been jerky and snappish all week long.

Farcus 'Bulk' Bulkmeir and Eugene 'Skull' Skullovitch came over and Bulk smirked at Steve.

"What bug inched its way up your butt, Knight?"

Steve looked at them. "Mind your own business for a change, Bulkmeir."

"What is your **deal**, dude?" Skull asked, scoffing.

"Will you two mush brains get lost? I've got a lot on my mind," Steve said in an agitated tone.

Bulk and Skull snorted and headed off. Steve sighed and sat back in his chair. He'd been doing a lot of thinking and... maybe he _had _made a bad move by breaking up with Trini. They'd been happy together. They'd really connected.

'_I have to get her back. I'm gonna get her back. I'm sure I can. After all, it's only been a week_,' he thought.

Besides, she hadn't wanted to break up anyway. So, it'd be easy. Cake. Steve wasn't giving up on the "living together" thing, though. He just knew it was a good idea. She'd see it his way eventually. He'd make her see it. He was determined... .

* * *

**That's all for now.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Here's the next installment of "KS".**

**To all reviewers and readers: Thanks!**

**On we go...**

* * *

Trini was having a delightful sleep when her telephone began ringing like nobody's business on Sunday morning. The young woman groaned in annoyance, turned her body to the left and blindly grabbed for the phone. 

"Hello?" she mumbled sleepily after succeeding in locating it.

"Hey, Trini. It's me," a male voice said.

She frowned in confusion. It didn't sound like one of her male friends. Or her boss. Or her father. Suddenly, the voice registered in her foggy brain. Her confusion grew- along with her annoyance. She was also now curious.

"Steve."

He sighed. "Yeah. I know it's early, but, I really need to talk to you. It's important."

"Is something wrong?" she asked. Just because he'd turned out to be a complete jerk didn't mean she didn't care what happened to him. After all,_ she_ wasn't a jerk.

"Well... yeah. I am," he said with a slight laugh.

Her eyebrows shot up. "You are?"

"Definitely. I've been thinking and... you're right. I was rushing things and... I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, Trini. It's just that I care so much about you and what we were building together... well, it meant a lot to me. Seriously. You're such a fantastic woman and... who could blame me for wanting to live with you? I didn't mean to push you away. I hate that I went off the way I did," Steve said.

Trini narrowed her eyes slightly. Okay. He sounded pretty sincere. But they were on the phone- meaning she couldn't see him. Anyone could sound sincere on a phone. On the one hand, she wanted to believe this was genuine. On the other hand... she honestly just didn't know. She opened her mouth to respond until she noticed the time. Her eyes widened a little. She had arranged to meet Billy for breakfast, so, she couldn't finish this conversation right now. She couldn't help feeling a little relieved.

"Steve? Can I call you back later? I'm meeting my friend for breakfast and I have to shower and get dressed," she said, sitting up and swinging her legs out of the bed.

"Oh. Well, okay. You can call me when you're done and maybe I can come over. That way, we can talk in person," he said.

"I'll see," she said quietly.

"I guess that'll have to do," he said with a sigh. "Well, I'll let you go now. Bye."

"Bye," she said, then, hung up. She sat still for several moments, then, shook her head, stood, stretched and headed out of her room and for the bathroom.

* * *

Tanya grinned when Adam walked into their bedroom, holding a tray. Breakfast in bed. She knew he planned to pamper her the entire pregnancy. But, then, Adam would be a dream husband even if there wasn't a baby. He was just... amazing like that. 

"Here you go," he said, gently setting the tray down in front of her.

"Thanks, sweetie. You gonna join us?" she asked, rubbing her belly.

"I've eaten already. I'll be happy to watch you, though. It gives me thrills," he said with a teasing smile- causing her to laugh. Then, she looked down at the contents on the tray. She looked up and grinned at him.

"You cooked all my faves," she said. Then, she looked down at her stomach. "Your daddy is so incredible. I don't think the man's real."

He laughed, then, began speaking to their unborn son as well. "I'm okay, buddy. Your mom's the incredible one. I'm just lucky I get to spend the rest of my life with her." He was now looking at his wife- whose heart soared.

"You know the rule, Mr. Park. You're not allowed to make me cry before breakfast," she said, running her fingers through his hair. He took her hand and kissed two fingers gently.

The couple shared a loving smile.

* * *

"Rise and shine, Kit Kat," Rocky said gleefully. 

Kat- who'd stayed at his place the whole weekend- groaned and pulled the covers up over her head. "Five more minutes."

He snorted in amusement. "You and your five minutes. Come on. Up and at 'em, ballerina," her fiance said, shaking her shoulder gently but insistently.

Kat pulled the covers off and noticed he was fully dressed. She arched a brow. "Going somewhere?"

"Yes, we are," he said, grinning.

She placed her hand over her mouth and yawned. "Where are we going?"

"I woke up with the need to take my gorgeous future bride out for breakfast. We're gonna hit that place in Stone Canyon that just opened up a month ago," he said.

"That sounds great. We have been talking about going there," she said, sitting up and stretching.

"And now's as great a time as any," he said. Then, he looked at her and shook his head. "Wow."

"What's up?" she asked.

"It's just that most people look like a total horror show in the morning- like me, for example. But, you... how do you do it?" he said.

She laughed. "I'm pretty sure I don't look like royalty right now. And you don't look like a horror show in the morning, sweetie. You look adorable."

"You're just saying that 'cause you're nice by nature," he said with a laugh.

"Very true," she quipped. He smirked and she laughed. Then, she took his hand. "Can I tell you again how happy I am that I'm marrying you?"

"Feel free to say that whenever you want," he said with a smile.

* * *

Trini and Billy had been sitting at a table, eating and talking for the last fifteen minutes. Suddenly, a thought sprang into Trini's mind without warning and her voice trailed off. Her facial expression changed and Billy frowned in concern. 

"Are you all right?" he asked.

She half-smiled. "Not really. Steve called."

Billy's eyebrows nearly vanished underneath his hairline. "Did he say something to upset you?"

"Actually, he apologized and said he wants us to talk," she said.

"Oh. How do you feel about that?" Billy asked.

"I don't know if he's truly sorry or not," she said.

"Understandable. After all, you guys were on a telephone," Billy said.

"Exactly. If I'd been able to see him... . Well, he wants to come over when we're finished with breakfast," she said.

"What'd you tell him?" Billy asked.

"I gave him a maybe," she said. Then, she shook her head. "Can you believe this, Billy? Just when I start preparing to forget about him and move forward, he does this. Do you... do you think I should talk to him?"

"If that's really what you want," he replied. "I just want you to do whatever makes you happy. There's no harm in talking."

"Right," she said, nodding slowly. "I guess I will, then."

Billy was about to give an encouraging smile until an odd sensation surged through him. He frowned before he could stop himself. What was that about? Trini talking with Steve and possibly getting back together with him shouldn't bother Billy in the least. It hadn't bothered him the first time around... had it? No. No. That was absurd. Of course it hadn't.

"Billy? Are you all right? The food's not that bad," Trini said with a laugh.

Billy blinked. "Oh. I, um, drifted off for a second. Sorry." Of course it didn't bother him. Why would it? Trini was his friend. That was all she'd ever been and all she'd ever be. That was perfectly fine with him.

It was just too bad that strange sensation wouldn't disappear... .

* * *

**Hope everyone enjoyed. Cya.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Well, here's chapter six. I was hoping to reach thirty reviews before I uploaded the sixth chapter, but, that's life. (shrugs).**

**Anyway, I hope you all like it.**

**And on we go...**

* * *

A short while later, Steve was standing outside of Trini's apartment in the hallway. Trini had just opened the door moments earlier and was now gripping the doorknob and staring at him carefully. He began shifting his weight from foot to foot. 

"So, um... can I come in?" he asked.

Trini stared at him for several more moments, then, nodded. "Okay." The dark-haired woman stepped aside, he took a deep breath and entered the apartment. Trini closed the door slowly, then, turned to face him. "Why don't we sit down?"

He nodded and they headed over to the sitting area. Steve sat on the couch and Trini chose to sit in one of her two chairs. He raised his eyebrows at her and opened his mouth to speak. Trini held up her hand.

"Steve", she began calmly, "if you're about to ask why I'm not sitting on the couch... don't. It was hard enough agreeing to let you come over. You really can't expect me to wanna sit next to you."

"You're... right. Absolutely," he said, nodding. He looked into her eyes. "Trini... I really want us to get back together. I need us to. And we really should since we're soulmates. You know we are."

'_Soulmates. We dated six months -barely- and he thinks we're soulmates. Going way too fast once again,' _she thought. Saying "I feel we _might_ be soulmates" was fine, but... . "Steve, you're doing it again. You shouldn't be saying "soulmates" when we've only known each other for a few months."

"Trini, like I've told you, I don't need us to be together for years and years to find what I've known practically since we met," he said.

Annoyance filled her. "Maybe this visit was a mistake."

"No! Come on, Tri! Why would you say something like that?" he asked incredulously.

"Because you seem to only care about what _you_ need and feel and want. I cannot be with someone like that. I won't be with someone like that. I have entirely too much self-respect," Trini said.

"You, you love me. I know you do. You told me. And you meant it," he said, his eyes flashing.

"Maybe... I just love the person I thought you were," she said quietly.

"No. No, Trini. We're in love. We're in love. It's real. I know, in my heart, that we are made for each other. And, and I know that you know it, too," he said, a hint of desperation in his voice.

"No, I don't know, Steve. I'm really sorry, but... I've never really been the "I knew you were it for me the first time I laid eyes on you" type," she said honestly.

"Maybe it didn't happen the first time you saw me. But I know it did not long after. I know it did. I know you feel what I feel. I just know it. Trini, don't reject me. Let's just be together again. Like it should be," he said.

"You're not listening," she said softly. He wasn't big on listening- apparently- he was more than a little demanding, way too intense... obviously self-centered. '_But I chose to focus on his good side and hoped to help improve what needed to be improved_.' But the feeling that she couldn't help him and be the kind of woman he wanted was rapidly strengthening... .

"No!" he exploded angrily. Lovely. "_You're_ not listening. I'm trying to save something important to us both and you're turning me down. Damn! What the hell is with you? Work with me, will ya?"

Oh, yeah. Definitely a mistake. She sat back in her chair and looked at him. "Leave," she said calmly.

"Come on-" he began.

"I said... leave. Now," she said.

He shook his head and sprang to his feet and headed for the door. '_I hope she doesn't really think this is over_.'

* * *

Trisha looked at her watch that afternoon and tried even harder to ignore the annoyance that'd made itself at home inside of her fifteen minutes ago. The blonde was sitting at a table in a Reefside cafe, wondering where the hell Tommy was. They'd arranged to meet for lunch, but, he was nearly an hour late. She'd tried his cell and home phones, but... no answer. 

'_I know he's not Prince Punctual, but, this is just ridiculous. I mean, he hasn't even called my cell to say why he's running so late or anything_,' she thought, shifting in her seat a little.

And this wasn't the first time. He'd been ridiculously late for their breakfast date yesterday. And, the day before, he showed up for lunch at her place later than usual. Two days before that, they were supposed to meet for lunch on his break and he hadn't shown up at all. The reasons for it all had seemed really transparent and she was, like any normal person, starting to get suspicious.

But, a part of her was sure she was just being silly. Tommy was an amazing guy and he'd never fool around on her. That wasn't who he was. He loved her. But, another part was all: "Hey, you never know. Some people have about a million different sides to them."

'_But I trust Tommy_,' she thought. Well, at the moment, ninety percent of her did anyway. God, she really didn't wanna be feeling like this... .

"Trish! Hey, baby," Tommy said, rushing over to the table and sitting down across from his girlfriend. "I'm so sorry I'm so late. Kira really wanted me and the guys to hear this new song she wrote and time got away and all. I'm so sorry."

"Uh-huh," she said lightly. This "Kira's song" thing just didn't sit well with her at all. Something was definitely going on. She just didn't want it to be another woman.

Tommy's dark eyebrows shot up. "It sounds like you don't believe me."

"Well, Tommy, the truth is... I don't. You've been later than usual for things lately and you didn't even show up at all a few days ago. Is there something I should know? Because... I feel like there is," she said.

Tommy stiffened a little. He knew this would eventually come up. But he couldn't very well tell her the truth. It was the code. He knew that better than anyone. But... a part of him was dying to tell her. He couldn't, though. The woman he loved with all he had in him, the woman who made him happier than he'd been in a long time couldn't know that he was a power ranger.

'_I take my ranger duties very seriously. Being a ranger means so much to me. But I can't tell her. I wish I could, but, I can't. But she'll think there's someone else... she might leave me. God, I really don't want that happen!' _he thought, his heart racing. He wouldn't wish this situation on Mesogog!

"Trish, I..." he began.

"Is there somebody else?" she asked tightly.

"No! Not at all. It's definitely not that- believe me," he said.

"Then, what is it?" she asked.

His chest tightened. Maybe, just maybe, he should tell her. After all, he knew she'd never blab. He knew he could trust her. Also... he could lose her if he didn't. He was nowhere near done with this woman. Being a ranger did mean a lot to him. But Trisha Meadows had come to mean everything to him.

"Well?" she pressed.

Tommy closed his eyes. Okay. He was going to tell her. He had to. For the sake of the relationship that he treasured so much. He opened his eyes and looked around the cafe, then, refocused on his expectant, slightly anxious girlfriend and swallowed hard.

"All right. I'll tell you the truth," he said seriously.

* * *

**Yes, it was short, but, who doesn't know me by now? LOL. Stay tuned if you want. Diva out!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Here's chapter... what is it- seven? Yeah, seven. Here's chapter seven of "Kindred Spirits." Not a very long one. I'm just not very good at those, LOL**

**Huge shoutouts to Chylea, Zeopurple, Purple Strobe, BlackTea, GinaStar, LoneNightblade, Lonly Girl. Love ya lots.**

**And on with the show...**

* * *

Trisha stared at Tommy, wondering if this truth was really going to be something she could believe. No, of course she would. Everything would be fine. She and Tommy Oliver would be fine. No doubt. There was honestly nothing to worry about at all. 

"Okay. Let's hear it," she said in a casual tone.

"You got it. But... not here. I can't risk it. Let's eat lunch first, then, I promise I'll tell you everything," he said.

Trisha wasn't entirely sure she could make it through lunch. But she'd force herself. "Okay. We eat first. Why not? I'm hungry as all get out." She signaled the waitress.

A short while later, they'd ended their quiet lunch and paid for the food. They were now walking out of the cafe. Trisha was dying to know what Tommy had to tell her. Yet she wasn't really looking forward to it at all.

"Okay, Tommy. I'm ready to hear what you have to say. So, tell me before I go stark raving loony," she said.

He chuckled. "I can't tell you here. Trail me to my place."

A little while later, they were sitting on the couch in his living room. Tommy took a deep breath. The time had come. He was about to drop that bomb. He turned towards his girlfriend and looked into her eyes.

"Trisha... what I'm about to tell you must stay a secret. I'm serious. You can't tell anyone. Anyone," he said solemnly.

This sounded _huge_! Trisha nodded. "Okay. I'll keep my mouth shut. You have my word, baby."

"Good. All right. The thing is, I... the truth is that... well, Trisha, I'm... the reason I've been later than usual lately... I mean, I totally get why you'd think it's another woman. Anyone in their right mind would be suspicious. Anyway, Trisha, I'm... well, I'm a Power Ranger," Tommy said.

Trisha just gaped. What? Had he really just said that he was a ... . Oh, come on! There was just no way he'd really just said... . Her boyfriend had just told her that... . Come on! Was he for real?

"Get outta _town_, man," she said with a laugh.

"I know it's hard to believe and it sounds nuts, but, it's true. I'm a Dino Thunder ranger. Along with Kira, Conner, Ethan and Trent. We're all rangers," Tommy said seriously.

"Tommy, I'm sorry. But that's just a little too-" Trisha began.

"And this wasn't my first time serving as a ranger. I was on the original ranger team eleven years ago, then, the team after that- Zeo. And the Turbo group followed that one. I gotta tell ya, I definitely wasn't expecting to be one again. I'd thought my rangering days were behind me," he said, shaking his head.

Trisha was just overwhelmed. He seemed to be telling the truth. But... wow! A Power Ranger. And so were Kira, Trent, Ethan and Conner. Power Rangers. What in the world... . It was just wild!

"I'm in love with a ranger," she said, mostly to herself. Wow!

"Give the lady a prize," Tommy said with a laugh.

Trisha smirked. This would definitely take some getting used to. But, at least it wasn't another woman. She leaned into Tommy. "Thanks for telling me the truth. And your secret is definitely safe with me."

He kissed her forehead tenderly. "I know. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, Trish, but-"

"I understand, sweetie. You're honorable and that's one of the many things I love about your crazy butt," she said, her eyes dancing.

"I'm crazy, huh? Keep those stones in a cute, litttle bag, baby. 'Cause you're in no position to be throwing 'em," Tommy said, grinning.

"But crazy looks cute on me. It brings out my eyes," she quipped.

He laughed, then, pulled her into a kiss. It felt as though a huge, crushing weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Telling her was definitely the right choice. In some odd way, he now felt closer to her.

"Hey, do your friends know about the whole ranger thing?" Trisha asked.

"Yeah. There's a very good reason why they know, too. Sit back and prep yourself for a nice, little story. It all started with a head by the name of Zordon," Tommy said with a grin.

* * *

"That was so great! We should definitely hit bed and breakfasts much more often, Rex," Kim said as she led the way into their house that night. 

"Eh, it was okay," Jason said.

Kim smirked at her husband. "Come off it, Jase. You know you had fun."

"Oh, yeah. The butter-making class was a thrill a minute," Jason said, mock excitement.

Kim laughed. "Okay, that was pretty lame. I don't know why I talked you into doing that. But, the trip wasn't all bad and you know it."

Jason smiled at her. "No, it was cool for the most part. Kim, you know I don't care where we are. What makes it so great is being with you, Pinky."

"You're way too sweet to be true," Kim said as they headed into their room.

"That's true," he quipped.

She rolled her eyes and smirked as she sat her suitcase on the bed and unzipped it. Jason laughed. "What's up?"

"It's just a shock to the soul that you didn't pack your entire life for that trip," he said.

"Shut up, Scott. I 'm not that bad," she said.

"You're a whole lot worse," he said.

"Weren't you just told to shut up?" Kim asked sweetly.

"Yeah. But I chose not listen 'cause I'm a bad ass, Scott," he said, his eyes dancing with amusement.

She threw a pair of rolled up socks at him and he ducked just in time. He smirked.

"You missed, wifey. Better luck next time," he said.

"You really think you're the hottest thing on wheels," she said, her eyes dancing as well.

"So do you. That's why you married me. I'm your trophy husband. Don't think I don't know that," he said in mock hurt.

She laughed and shook her head. Then, she began wondering if she should bring up the topic she'd been thinking about for the last few weeks. Maybe now wasn't the perfect time. She cleared her throat.

"Rex?"

"Yeah, Firebird?" he asked as he retrieved items from his suitcase.

"I've been thinking a lot about this and well... I wanna have a baby," she said.

* * *

"Hey, Trini," Billy said after picking up his phone. 

"Hey, Billy. I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" she asked.

"No, of course not. You're perfectly fine. Or... are you? How did it go with Steve?" he asked in a concerned tone.

Trini sighed and that one sound pretty much told Billy all he needed to know. "It didn't go. He's not the kind of man I can see myself with. He's only gonna keep proving that over and over. I just know it."

Billy was a little bothered by the fact that this piece of information inspired immense relief in him. He chose to ignore it. He couldn't closely examine anything right now. Not now.

"Well, Trini, I'm ... really sorry. But if you feel you've made the right decision, then, that's all that matters," he said.

"I do feel I made the right choice. There's no way I'm taking him back. Anyway, that's not the only reason I called," she said.

"It's not?" he asked with a slight frown.

"No. Do you have any plans for dinner tonight?" she asked.

"No," he replied.

"And now you do. You wanna come over for a Trinity Kwan meal?" she asked.

He smiled. "I'd love to."

"Great. And Billy?" she said.

"Yes, Trini?" he asked.

"Thanks for always being you," she said warmly.

* * *

**It was a little blah, I know. But bear with me, plz.**


	8. Chapter 8

Guess who's already starting to lose inspiration again? (sighs). I think I get uninspired sometimes cuz I always feel like I have to **really** top myself, ya know? Well, I'm gonna go on ahead with this chapter anyway for whatever reason. I hope it's all right.

As always, I appreciate the support. Thanks so much.

* * *

Jason dropped the T-shirt he'd just took out of his suitcase onto to the bed and proceeded to stare at his wife as if she'd just revealed they were living next door to the devil. Wow. Had she really just said she wanted a baby? Really?

Kim couldn't help giggling at his expression. She knew he'd be sort of blown away. But, as she'd just told him, she'd thought a lot about it. What had mainly triggered this was seeing Tanya pregnant. When her friend had began showing, Kim's biological clock decided to tick loudly.

"I know we've only been married a little over a year and we have plenty of time, but... well, I really want to get started on a family now," she said as she resumed removing items from her suitcase. "But only if you're into it, Rex."

Jason's surprise began slowly wearing off and he started thinking about it. Okay, on the one hand, she was right. They _did_ have plenty of time. Also, he wasn't against having his wife all too himself for another year or two. On the the other hand, having a baby right now sounded great. They could afford it, too.

Kim didn't want to show that his silence was almost making her wish she hadn't brought up the subject in the first place. What was he thinking? Huh. That was funny. She usually had little to no trouble figuring out what was going through his head. But, it was different this time. Because she was so nervous about his reaction. The brunette continued to unpack silently.

Jason narrowed his eyes slightly. Sure, she'd just broken this news to him, but, the more he thought about it... the more he liked it. He suddenly couldn't chase away the image of a mini-version of Kim running all over the place as if she'd drank a million bottles of espresso. He chuckled at that and Kim looked at him. He nodded.

"I'm definitely into it, Pinky. Let's have a baby," he said.

Relief filled her and she grinned happily. "Thanks, sweetie," she said, hurrying around the bed and up to him. The couple shared a loving kiss and embrace. Then, he stared down into her eyes.

"A little girl that looks like you. What's better than that?" he said.

"A little boy that looks like you," she said, tightening her hold on him.

"It's weird. I always wanted a son first- like a typical guy. But that was before I knew my wife would be you," he said with a laugh. She laughed as well. He kissed her forehead sweetly. "You know I'll be happy with whatever we have, angel."

"Yeah. Me, too. I just wanna hold a little person that belongs to us in my arms," she said. "I love you, Jase."

"Right back at ya, Firebird," he said seriously.

* * *

"I know we've only been engaged a week, but, you know we're gonna have to start thinking up possible wedding dates sooner or later," Kat said to her fiance that evening. The couple was sitting in the kitchen of her apartment, waiting for dinner to finish cooking.

"True," Rocky said, nodding.

"Do you have any ideas?" she asked.

"Well, I haven't really thought about _when_ I want it to happen. Only that I want it to happen," he said.

Kat smiled softly at that. He was just so sweet. "I think February would be good. Because it's not a month people normally choose to get married in."

"You're right. I'm always hearing about June brides and all that. By the way, do you have any idea what's so special about that?" Rocky asked with a laugh.

Kat laughed, too. "Not a clue. I've always wondered myself. Summer's a great season, but, that doesn't mean it's** the** perfect time to get married. I've always preferred spring and winter weddings, to tell the truth."

"My parents got married during spring," he said.

Her blue eyes widened. "So did mine." Rocky's eyebrows rose a little, then, he smiled and shook his head.

"We are so meant to be," he said.

"Right. Our parents marrying in the same season is solid proof that we're soulmates," she said, her eyes dancing.

"Sure it is. I read that somewhere," he said, mock serious.

"You're a nut," she said, smiling.

"And you love me. Doesn't exactly make you the poster child for sanity, ballerina," he said with a wink.

Kat cocked her head and pretended to think for a few moments, then, she nodded. "You're right."

"Hey!" he exclaimed- causing her to laugh.

* * *

Steve sat on a stool at a bar- Perry's- drinking a beer. It was his sixth one. He'd been so angry that his talk with Trini hadn't gone well. After trashing his apartment, then, driving around for a while, he decided to get sloppy, crazy drunk. How could Trini just reject him like that? What was her problem? Hell, didn't he mean anything to her?

Great. He'd come here to take his mind off of her, but, she'd flooded his thoughts once again and that fierce fury was now rebuilding itself inside of him. He stared straight ahead, not caring in the least that his vision was blurred.

"She's crazy._ I_ know we belong together. That should be good enough, dammit!" he yelled angrily, slamming his palm down on the counter. Everyone in the bar looked over at him, but, he didn't notice. He continued to rant to no one in particular. "Nobody turns me down! How dare she? I love her and she doesn't even care! She just kicked me to the curb like... like... like...oh, who the hell cares? I can't believe her! Where does she get off anyway? She'll never find another guy like me! I mean, I'm great, right?" He shook his head. Damn her! "Bartender! Gimme another, will ya?" His speech, of course, was slurred.

The bartender- Ty- looked at Steve warily for several moments. "Buddy... you've had enough. Obviously."

Steve glared at him. "Don't "buddy" me, you idiot. You're not, you're not, you're not... wait. What is it again? Oh, right. You're not here to play my keeper or my mom. You're supposed to keep the customers satisified. And I'm pissed. You've done... a _crappy_ job and I should just kick your ass right now. Seriously."

Ty shook his head. "Nice dream. Like I said, you've had enough. In fact, I'll call a cab for ya. You can just come back for your car tomorrow." He actually felt sorry for the dude. Ty turned and headed towards the back.

"Screw you, man!" Steve yelled drunkenly. "I don't need you! I need Trini! Trini! I never give up! I'll get her back! You hear that, Trini? Do you? Huh? I'll get you back if it's the last thing I ever do."

* * *

Trini was standing in front of her full-length mirror, straightening her shirt and skirt. She'd also just added a little makeup. Eyeshadow, lip gloss. She'd spritzed on a little perfume as well. Billy was on his way over and the food was currently cooking. Trini suddenly thought of something and laughed. Why was she getting all "hotted up"- as Rocky always put it- for a dinner with a friend? And that's really all it was. Nothing more... .

She shook her head, exited her room and started for the kitchen to check on the food. The sound of all-too-familiar knocking stopped her in her tracks. Her stomach fluttered a little for some reason. He was here. She took a deep breath, turned and headed for the front door. '_Relax_,_ Trini. It's only Billy. A guy you've known your whole life. It's not a big deal at all._'

But her stomach betrayed her once again. She rolled her eyes, unlocked and opened the door to find Billy there... outfitted in black, dress pants and a blue, dress shirt. He looked wonderful and smelled great as well. So, he'd decided to dress up as well. What was _with_ them? Trini felt the sudden need to laugh uncontrollably for some reason. It was scary how she and Billy thought so much alike... .

They smiled at each other. Trini nodded. "Hi, Billy. You look great."

"So do you, Trini. Wonderful, actually," he said.

'_What made us decide to treat this like a date? Because it's only two friends sharing a meal at one_ _friend's apartment. It's not a date_,' she thought, her pulse rate picking up a little. Of course, you didn't necessarily have to go _out_ in order for it to be a date. But this still wasn't what that was.

"Well... come on in," she said, stepping aside to let him enter.

Billy's smile widened a little as he entered the apartment. Her alluring fragrance certainly hadn't escaped his notice. It never did. Trini always smelled nice. "Dinner smells wonderful. But, what else could I expect from you?"

She laughed. "I do okay in the kitchen."

"We're all alone, Trinity. It's perfectly fine to pat yourself on the back as much as you desire," he said, an amused glint in his eyes.

"Okay. But on one condition. You have to sign a pledge that says you'll never expose my conceited side to the world," she said, mock serious.

"Why not? Of course, I must say, if I'm offered a tremendous sum of money..." he said, shaking his head.

"Oh, my. You think you know a person," she said, mock sadness. They looked at each other and burst out laughing... both relieved that everything was all innocent and lighthearted between them once again.

A little while later, they finished the delicious meal and was now sitting on the couch, talking and listening to soft music. Billy shifted in his seat a little. He was having such a nice time with Trini and he knew that the topic he wanted to bring up would put a damper on things. Well, he could only hope not. He just really needed to know she was fine because he cared so much for her.

'Trini?"

"Yes?" she asked.

"My intentions are not to ruin our evening, but..." his voice trailed off.

Trini half-smiled. "You wanna ask about Steve."

Billy's face flushed a little. "Affirmative."

She took Billy's hand in hers and looked into his eyes. "You're a wonderful person and friend. I know you care about me and you're concerned. But... I really am fine with the choice I made. I admit that it'll take awhile to get completely past the person I thought he was. But, I know- deep inside- that it _will_ happen. And I honestly think it's gonna be easier than any of us realize."

Billy gently squeezed her hand. He'd always admired Trini. Her brilliance, wisdom, serenity, strength. That's what made her so beautiful. Of course, the sleek, black hair and lovely, dark, warm eyes and delicate features counted as well... .

"Billy, would you like to dance?" she asked, not entirely certain of what had prompted her to ask.

"Sure. That'd be great," he said, his heart racing a little.

Trini grabbed the stereo remote and turned the volume up a little just as a slow, love song came on. There went those darn stomach flutters again. Lovely. She cleared her throat and stood. Billy swallowed and stood as well. He took her hand and led her around the coffee table and to the center of the floor. She curled her arms around his neck, he curled his arms around her waist and slowly pulled her closer. Then, the dancing began.

This wasn't the first time they'd slow danced. It'd happened once at an eighth grade dance. It'd been a lot more awkward- on Billy's part especially. But Trini always looked back on it with a fond smile. It'd been sweet and cute. Billy had eventually relaxed... he always could with her. Trini lay her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

The scent of her soft hair flooded his nostrils and his hold on her tightened a little. She seemed to fit perfectly in his arms. He couldn't help thinking that. He hesitated for only a few moments, then, rested his cheek gently on her hair and closed his eyes as well. The two former rangers let the beautiful music carry them away from reality... .

When the song had finally ended, they slowed to a stop, but, continued ot hold each other. They locked eyes. Everything was now feeling so... so... so... . Their hearts were in overdrive. They were too focused on the here and now to think rationally.

Billy normally wasn't the type to make the first move, but... this was Trini. Trini. He removed his strong arms from around her waist and cupped her face. He began gently caressing it. Tingling sensations began washing over Trini. She couldn't remember Steve or anybody else for that matter ever inspiring these kind of feelings in her. All it'd taken was a simple touch... .

"Billy," she said softly.

"Trini," he said at the same time.

They stared at each other for a few moments longer, Trini fingers slowly slid up to his hair... they leaned in simultaneously, slowly and their lips met... .

* * *

**Now, there's not gonna be any (ahem) "action" coming next, LOL. For all who's looking for it. After all, they're still Billy and Trini- logical folks! Taking it kinda slow, ya know? ;) And she just got out of a relationship- even if the dude is a jackass. More importantly, I hoped this chapter was decent. I was just okay with it. (shrugs).  
**


	9. Chapter 9

Here's the next installment. I just love this story. It's my second fave of mine, LOL.

Huge thanks to all who've reviewed the previous chappies. Love you!

* * *

The former blue and yellow rangers slowly deepened the kiss. The only thing on both their minds at this particular moment was, well, each other. A warmth, an intense warmth, was slowly spreading throughout their bodies. Both their hearts had yet to stop the frantic racing. As well as their pulses... . After what seemed like an eternity, the two lifelong friends broke the kiss and just stared at each other, breathless. Wow.

Now they were both wondering just what in the world had just occurred here. They'd kissed. Billy Cranston and Trini Kwan had just kissed. And it had been some kiss. They'd kissed. Why? That was the big question. But, neither knew the answer. Maybe it'd just happened simply because of the moment.

Trini decided it was time to speak up. She cleared her throat. "Well... thanks for the dance, Billy."

He nodded, feeling a little relieved. He wasn't quite ready to talk about it. "You're welcome, Trini." Then, they shared a smile and disentangled.

"You know, I just realized we never had dessert. Care for some lemon meringue pie?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow. She wanted to recapture the normalcy of the evening and she'd known Billy long enough to know he'd have no problem with that.

"That'd be great," he said. Then, a memory floated into his head and he smiled. "You always baked amazing pies and cakes."

"Zack certainly thought so," Trini said with a laugh.

"He always tried to have fifth and sixth helpings," Billy said with a chuckle.

"And he didn't even really need one. He and Kim were already hyper enough. The thought of them with a lotta sugar in their systems..." Trini said, shaking her head slowly.

"Terrifying," Billy said.

"Without a doubt. Well, why don't you have a seat, William? I'll be right back with the goods," she said with a grin. Then, she exited the room.

* * *

"You've landed on Pacific Avenue, Park. Pay up," Tanya said the next evening- Monday evening.

"I really think this game hates me. I hardly ever win when I'm playing with you," Adam said, counting out the "money" he owed his wife.

The couple was sitting in the den of their house, playing Monopoly. The long game was nearly over and Adam was nearly bankrupt- much to Tanya's amusement. The pregnant woman smirked at her husband as she took the money from him.

"Baby, why don't you just throw in the towel? You know I have this game in the bag. You shouldn't embarrass yourself. Or maybe you should. It's fun to see. The baby gets a kick out of it, too," she said teasingly.

"Oh, yeah? He thinks it's funny when I lose at Monopoly, huh?" Adam said, then, he looked at Tanya's belly and pointed his finger at it. "You're grounded."

Tanya laughed. "You're probably the first person in history to ground an unborn child."

He laughed as well. "Probably. But you know what? I _am_ gonna throw in the towel. Game's over. You are still and always will be the Supreme Queen of Monopoly."

"Hey, that has a great ring to it," Tanya said, cocking her head and smiling.

"I don't have to call you that from now on, do I?" he asked in mock fear.

"Only on my birthday, peasant," she quipped- causing them both to laugh. Then, Tanya thought of something. "Sweetie, when do you plan to finish the nursery?"

"I was just about to bring it up, actually. I'm gonna get back to work on it tomorrow. Zack's gonna help out," Adam said.

"Good. Aisha can come over and we can gossip about you two," Tanya teased.

"As long as you both don't go into the bathroom to do it. You know- the way it's always done in public bathrooms," Adam said with a grin- causing her to laugh.

"Oh! We better get ready to head. We have to meet Rocky and Kat for dinner at that Italian restaurant," Tanya said, standing.

"Yeah," Adam said, standing as well. Then, he looked at her and smiled. She really did have that glow. "Tanya?"

"Yeah, honey?" she asked.

"You're beautiful," he said softly.

Two simple words made her heart soar. She walked up to him and curled her arms around his neck and he instantly wrapped his arms around her waist. "So are you," she said. They shared a sweet, loving kiss.

* * *

"No! No! Let her go! TRISH!"

"Tommy! Tommy! Wake up! Sweetie, wake up!"

Tommy's eyes flew open and sat straight up in the bed. He looked around his room and his slightly wild eyes landed on the worried, slightly shaken blonde next to him. Trisha was staying overnight. Anyway, she'd been jolted out of a pretty good sleep by the sound of Tommy's frantic screaming. She looked at him with wide eyes. He was trembling, breathing heavily. His heart was pounding.

"Honey... what- did you have a nightmare?" she asked, touching his shoulder.

He shook his head. "It was so... real. Trish, it felt so real! I haven't had a dream that horrible in a long time."

"Well, do you wanna talk about it?" she asked gently.

He looked at his girlfriend. "Mesogog," he said. Trisha swallowed hard. Tommy sighed deeply. "I dreamed that he... killed you right in front of me."

Trisha bit her lower lip. That was definitely something to scream about. Mesogog. She was already worried about Tommy- and the others. Worried they'd eventually be defeated in the most gruesome, horrendous ways possible. Oh, she believed the rangers had what it took. But, she still couldn't help worrying. She just knew that every time his communicator went off... she would have to fight the urge to beg him not to go. She admired that he cared about the planet and fought for it. Tommy was truly one of the best men she knew. But she really didn't want to lose him. She loved him so much. God, she loved him.

"It was awful, Trish. And what really got to me was the fact that I couldn't do anything about it. I couldn't help you. I was forced to watch him to take you away from me and... I can't even tell you how that made me feel," he said, his voice now thick with emotion.

Her heart twisted and sympathy surged through her. "Sweetie, that sounds terrible. I'm so sorry. Do you want any water or anything?"

"No, thanks. I just... I couldn't_ stand_ it if anything happened to you. Trish, I love you with all my heart, but... well, if, if... you want out because you don't wanna put up with my lifestyle... I'll totally understand. It'd devastate me, but, I don't want you forcing yourself to handle-" he was saying.

"Shh," she said, putting a finger to his lips. "Tommy, I love you, too. And I'm not going anywhere. That was a horrible dream, but, that's all it was- a dream. Mesogog is a monster, but, nothing or no one can ever make me walk away from you. I mean that."

He pulled her close to him. "Are you sure?"

"Two thousand percent," she said, running her fingers through his hair.

Relief surged through him and he captured her lips in a kiss that left both their heads spinning. When it ended, they smiled at each other.

"Only a dream," she said, squeezing his hand. "Now, do you wanna get some sleep?"

"Sure... in awhile," he said, his voice now husky. His eyes were dancing.

"Dr. Oliver! That's not how a science teacher should behave," she said, mock indignant.

"You're right. But I won't tell if you won't," he said, slowly laying her back on the bed.

* * *

Trini was in her kitchen the next evening, cooking dinner. She was in an unusally good mood today. Her day at work had been great. Of course, her mind did occasionally make its way to Billy and the kiss. It was a little hard not to think about it... smile about it. But she knew it couldn't happen again- with him or anyone else. Not for awhile. She wasn't ready to began something serious yet. But... no harm in thinking about Sunday night's kiss... and smiling about it.

There was loud, sharp knocking at the door then. Trini turned the stove's eye down real low, turned and headed out of the kitchen. She wondered who this could be. Maybe Kim and Jason. Or Zack and Aisha. When she reached the door and unlocked it, she opened it to find Steve there. Steve. He looked awful.

"Steve. What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Where else would I be?" he asked, leaning against the door frame.

"Work, maybe?" she said. Then, she noticed something else. "Have you been drinking?"

"Yeah, but, so what. You broke my my heart. What else am I gonna do?" he said lazily.

"Steve, you know that drinking doesn't solve anything. I'm sorry you're hurting- I am- but liquor won't help you," she said quietly.

"I can handle my liquor. I'm a big boy, Trini. Besides, if you really care so much, you'd have taken me back. There'd be no need for alcohol," he said, looking into her dark eyes.

"I'm not to blame for any of it, Steve. Not the breakup and certainly not the drinking problem you seem to be interested in developing," she said.

"Of course not! Of course you're not," he said, laughing and shaking his head. "You're not or never to blame for anything. 'Cause you're Miss Perfect. My apologies for forgetting that, your Greatness."

"Why don't you go home, Steve?" she said calmly. She didn't want him here. He'd been drinking, but, he was obviously sober enough to drive. So, there was no need to worry about him hurting himself or anyone else.

"Why don't you realize that I'm it for you?" he said.

"Steve, we've been over this. Now, I really want you to leave. You said you loved me. Prove it by respecting my wishes. Go home. Get some sleep. Then, I suggest you at least _think_ of taking the first step to moving on. For the sake of your own mental health," she said seriously.

"I'm not crazy," he snapped. "No, I take that back. I'm completely crazy. Crazy in love with you."

"Steve, go. Just... go," she said.

"The hell I will," he said, a hard edge in his voice.

* * *

**That's all for now. Cya.**


	10. Chapter 10

And here I am with chapter... ten, is it? Yeah, chapter ten. LOL. It's not very long...

Big, lovin' shoutouts to all readers/reviewers.

* * *

"I'm not going anywhere, Trini," Steve said coldly. 

Trini just stared at him. Was he honestly expecting her to be even slightly afraid or intimidated? If so, she really needed to make a call to the local mental hospital. She shook her head slowly. '_I can't_ _believe he really doesn't know why I don't want to be with him. Either that or it's a deep, deep state of denial. He really needs to get himself together before getting involved with anyone else_.'

"I can't leave... not without a proper goodbye," he said in a suggestive tone.

Oh,_ that_. Yes, definitely mental. Trini would have laughed if she wasn't annoyed. "Steve, you know that's not happening. You should stop embarrassing yourself and go."

"I'm not embar- hey, I'll decide when I'm embarrassing myself, all right? I don't need anybody telling me whether I'm embarrassing myself or not. Geez. You just know _everything_, don't you? Trini Kwan: modern-day Wizard of Oz," Steve said, shaking his head.

She rolled her eyes. She was already really tired of his presence. "Just get out of here, Steve. Seriously."

"Were you not listening a few seconds ago? Did you tune me out or something?" he said, standing up straight and stepping up to her. Before he could grab her, she instinctively her bent knee, brought it up and... "Oh, crap! What the _hell's_ wrong with you?"

"Right question, wrong person. Bye, Steve," she said, closing and locking the door.

* * *

Steve just stared at the closed door, dumbfounded. Had she really just kneed him in the... cherished area, then, closed the door on him? Had that really just happened? What was she, nuts or something? He grunted as he turned to kind of limp away. His cell phone- which was in his pocket-began ringing, but, he ignored it. He really didn't give a flying crap who it was. 

Trini was the only thing that really mattered. No, scratch that. His relationship with her was the only thing that mattered. He had to make her see that they really were supposed to be together. He was so pissed that he had to make her see that. '_I_ _really shouldn't have to. Hell, she should know_ _already_!'

When he finally reached the elevator, the doors opened and Jason and Kimberly Scott stepped out, laughing and talking. Their arms were linked. They'd come to visit with Trini for a little while.

"I never liked that movie. It's- oh. Steve," Kim said, her smile vanishing. She and Jason exchanged glances, then, she looked at Steve once again. "What are you doing here?"

"Mind your own damn business," Steve snapped.

Jason's eyes flashed. "Careful there, Steve. You'll end up sounding like a guy who's getting tired of his teeth." His voice was low and calm.

'"Geez. First, Tommy at that grocery store with his threats and now you. What is up with you guys and the hero complex? Get over yourselves already," Steve said, snorting.

"Gee, you're a real catch. All that charm. Trini was nuts for dropping you," Kim said dryly.

"You're actually right about that, Kim. But this isn't gonna last. We're gonna get back together. Just wait," Steve said confidently.

"I doubt it," Kim said lightly.

"Who cares what you think? Trini's in love with me and that won't change. We're _going_ to get back together. It's gonna happen. I don't care what anybody says," Steve said, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

Jason narrowed his eyes slightly. He really didn't like the vibes this guy was giving off at all. Jason had never claimed to be the most perceptive person in the world, but, he wasn't stupid. Something just wasn't right about Steve- at all. Kim could sense it as well. "Hey, Steve?" Jason said. The other man looked at him in annoyance.

"What?" he snapped.

"Stay away from Trini," Jason said. He knew that all of his friends could take care of themselves- especially when absolutely necessary. He believed in their abilities. But he'd always be protective- it was just in his nature. Besides, it wasn't a guarantee that _anybody_ could win against crazy. You really couldn't take your chances... .

Steve smirked. "Sorry, Jase. But, I never got around to seeing the bulletin that said you told me what the hell to do."

_'And now he's in for it_,' Kim thought as her husband stepped up to Steve. "Jase..."

"Kim, please," Jason said calmly, not taking his eyes off Steve's. Kim sighed and shook her head. Jason looked Steve up and down. "You come anywhere near my friend again and you'll be praying for death by the time I'm done with you."

"Threatening an officer of the law. Classy," Steve sneered. "I should arrest you right now."

"Okay. As long as you arrest yourself for harrassing Trini," Jason said.

"You don't know anything about it. Get lost," Steve said, shoving Jason backward.

'_Oh_,_ boy_,' Kim thought, shaking her head slowly. She stepped out of the way- knowing from personal experience how Jason got when it came to his friends and family. He got temperamental very quickly when he felt his loved ones were at any kind of risk.

Jason slammed the other man up against the closed elevator doors without the slightest hesitation. Yeah, he was a martial artist and had once been a planet defender, but, that didn't mean he just went around looking for reasons to fight. He normally liked to use it as a last resort, but, this guy had pushed him already- not just literally.

"Listen carefully... leave Trini alone. I mean it. If you don't and I find out about it, you'll be on the missing persons list. Take that as a threat or whatever you want. I really don't give a damn. Now, get the hell outta here before I get really pissed," Jason said in a menacing tone.

"Whatever. You guys are all total freaks," Steve said as Jason released him. Steve glared at him, then, looked at Kim. "Why don't you keep him in a cage or something?"

"Weren't you just told to leave?" she said flatly.

"Bitch," he muttered. Kim's eyes narrowed and Jason wasted no time at all delivering a nice punch to Steve's mouth. The officer grunted as he hit the floor. He glared up at Jason murderously. "You crazy idiot."

Jason just glared back. He didn't care about the consequences. The hell with that. Nobody talked to his wife like that. Especially pathetic, crazed weasels like Steve Knight. Kim grabbed Jason's hand and he looked at her. She smiled.

"I love you," she said.

"I love you, too," he said quietly.

"Let's go to Trini's now. I'm sick of looking at him," Kim said.

"You go ahead. I'm gonna stay right here until _Stevie _makes his exit," Jason said.

Kim nodded, then, rolled her eyes at Steve and walked away- thinking that there was just no way one human being could really be that pathetic. Steve stood up and began rubbing at his mouth gingerly. He looked at Jason.

"I'm not afraid of you," he said harshly.

"Want a gold star for that one?" Jason said flatly, folding his arms across his chest.

"Funny. Don't you have a brain somewhere in there, Hercules? I wouldn't push me if I were you," Steve said, his voice low now.

Jason pressed the button on the elevator. "I'll tremble and shiver with fear before I go to bed tonight. I'm visiting with a friend right now." When the doors opened, Jason jerked his thumb towards the elevator. "There ya go."

Steve scoffed and stepped onto the elevator. He pressed the button for "lobby" as the doors closed and began silently cursing. He was even more pissed now. He needed some vodka. Now. Desperately. He wasn't worried about anything, though. A humorless smile appeared on his face. He ignored the pain it caused his mouth. He wanted Trini and he planned to get her. She and her friends didn't have the first clue about him... .

'_They've_ _awoken the beast and got no one to blame but themselves. They think they regret ever_ _knowing me now... just wait_,' he thought, nodding slowly. He could make things happen... .

* * *

**I know it was kinda ugh, but, it was really just a continuance of the prev. chapter anyway. It does show that the real drama's gonna be starting soon, though. Ya know I can't make it easy- no fun in that! More B/T moments to come. Cya!**


	11. Chapter 11

Here's the next installment.

As always, lots of love to all my readers/reviewers.

* * *

**(November- Second Week)**

It was now three weeks later- Thursday evening- and Trini or any of the other rangers hadn't heard anything from or seen Steve at all. Also, Billy and Trini had been spending quite a bit of time together over the last few weeks. Anyway, at the moment, Trini, Kim, Aisha, Tanya, Kat and Trisha were at Kat's place- doing some planning for Rocky and Kat's wedding. This was their second planning session and it was just now occurring because of everyone's schedules.

Of course, Aisha and Kim were acting as though they were planning their own wedding- which amused everyone else. The session'd been going on for a little over an hour. Everyone had come to Kat's apartment directly after leaving their jobs. Tanya cleared her throat.

"Dinner break," she announced. "Little Adam demands it," she added, rubbing her swollen belly. Her friends laughed.

"Actually, I'm a little hungry myself," Trisha said.

"Me, too," Trini said.

"Why don't I order Chinese food?" Kat said, grabbing her cordless phone.

"Works for me," Aisha and Trisha said.

"Same here," Kim and Tanya said.

"No argument from this corner," Trini said.

"By the way, Kat, where _is_ Rocky anyway?" Aisha asked once her friend had placed the orders.

"He's spending some time with his brother," Kat replied.

Kim looked over at Tanya's pregnant belly and grinned. She and Jason had been trying for the past month and she was really hoping to receive some good news by, well, the beginning of December. It'd be great to be pregnant during Christmas. '_It'd_ _be the best gift_.' She thought of something else, then, and her eyes lit up. She looked at her best friend and her smile widened. "So, Trini... what's the deal with you and everybody's favorite genius?"

Trini smirked... but, shifted in her seat a little. "There's no deal, Kim. Billy and I have always been really close. You know that."

"True, true. Very true. But, lately..." Kim said, lifting her eyebrows.

"Yeah, girl. You and Mr. Sky-high IQ have been seeing a _lot_ of each other and you're not giving off "just friends" vibes," Aisha said with a grin.

"But there's really nothing going on, guys," Trini said.

"If you say so, Tri," Kim said lightly.

Trini narrowed her eyes and her friends tried not to smile. "I don't even want anything serious right now. It's too soon."

"But that doesn't mean you're not attracted to him," Trisha said sweetly.

"Sure doesn't. Admit it, Tri. Come on now," Tanya said, grinning.

"Kat, I guess we're the only sane ones here," Trini said.

"Well, actually..." Kat's voice trailed off and Trini groaned. "Sorry," Kat said with a laugh. "But I'm sensing an attraction, too."

Trini shook her head. Okay, so _she_ was the only sane one here. Why bother insisting that she felt only friendship for Billy? Her friends were never going to believe her. They'd keep up those annoying little sly smiles. '_I_ _admit I think he's good-looking. But I've always thought that. Billy's my friend. Nothing more is ever gonna happen and that's okay. It really is. Honestly. We'll never go any further_. _We won't. We won't. I'm right_,' she thought, nodding. Of course she was right. Of course... .

* * *

"Do you have any plans for Thanksgiving?" Trini asked on Saturday morning. Billy had come over to her place and they were having breakfast in the kitchen. They'd been doing this for the last couple Saturdays and had pretty much wordlessly decided to make it a sort of regular thing. 

"Not really," the original blue ranger replied.

"Well, would you like to spend it with my family and me? Of course, your dad's welcome, too," she said.

Billy smiled and the normally serene woman actually couldn't help squirming a little. "That's a very nice offer, Trini, and I'll take you up on it. Thanks," he said. She smiled. "But my father's spending Thanksgiving with some of my relatives, so... I'm afraid I'll be the only guest," he said with a light chuckle.

She cocked her head slightly. "Only you? Hmm. I_ guess_ that's okay," she said with an dramatic sigh.

"I'm glad to see that that news thrills you," he joked.

"Naturally," she quipped.

"Why wouldn't it, though? I've been told by quite a few that I'm a sheer delight to have around," he said, his eyes dancing with amusement.

"You're always the life of the party," she said, mock serious.

"Of course. Don't tell Zack, though. He thinks that title belongs to him. I don't wanna rob him of his delusions," Billy said in the same tone. They looked at each other and burst out laughing. When Trini refocused on her food, Billy decided to use this opportunity to stare at her. Actually, he'd been using every little opportunity he received to really look at her. When she looked up, his face heated up and he quickly looked away. He felt like a preteen.

Trini hid a smile. She was fully aware that Billy sometimes stared at her. It was, well, cute how he'd kind of blush and look away whenever she looked up or anything. '_It's a good thing Kim's not here_ _right now_.' She could just see her petite friend's sneaky little smile now.

Billy cleared his throat and sat up a little straighter. "Trini, are you busy this afternoon?"

"Well... yeah. Another wedding planning session. I don't even know why any of us shows up, though. Including Kat," Trini said, laughing.

"Ah. Translation: Aisha and Kim are pretty much doing all the planning themselves," he said with a knowing smile.

"You know them well," Trini said with a chuckle. "I'm free for the evening, though, Billy." Oh, God. Why was her stomach feeling a little odd?

"I'm glad to hear that. Would you like to get together for dinner?" he asked. He wasn't normally the initiator type. But, this was Trini. And, besides, they were only friends. They'd be two lifelong friends having a meal together. Someone needed to inform his now racing pulse of that... .

"That'd be great," she said with a soft smile.

* * *

"Okay," Kim said breathlessly that night. "That was... wow." 

"Something like that," Jason said, breathing heavily.

"That test should _definitely_ show up positive now," she said.

He laughed, then, rubbed his hands over his face. The couple just fell silent, lay still for a few minutes and stared up at the ceiling. Then, Kim turned and snuggled up to him. He kissed the top of her head and she began tracing little shapes on his chest with her finger.

"Rex?"

"Yeah?"

She looked up at him. "I know it's way too early to be talking about this, but... if we have a boy, do you wanna name him after you or..." She didn't know why, but, it'd just suddenly sprang into her mind.

"If you want the truth... not really. I'd actually rather we name him something else," he said with a slight laugh.

"You hate your name now?" she asked with an amused grin.

"Nah. I just want him to have his own name, ya know? You got any ideas already?" he asked. "And a fat "no" to any male celebs you've got a thing for."

"Hey, that works both ways, Scott. No naming our daughter after any female supermodels or anything," she said, smirking.

"Come on. That'd be totally different," he said.

"How?" she said, cocking an eyebrow. He opend his mouth to speak, but, no words came out. He snapped his mouth shut and smiled sheepishly. She nodded and smirked once again. "Cat got your tongue?"

"That's your job, Pinky," he said, grinning.

"When you're right, you're right," she said. He laughed before pressing his lips to hers.

* * *

Steve narrowed his eyes after looking at his watch. He was in his car- across the street from Trini's apartment building. He'd been following her everywhere for the past week. He was keeping a low profile so she and her moronic friends would think he'd actually backed off. Anyway, Trini was still out with Billy. Billy. Jealousy filled the police officer. 

'_Dammit! I can't believe she replaced me that quickly_,' he thought for the millionth time, banging his fist on the steering wheel. He really, really needed a drink right about now. But that could wait. What was really bugging him was the fact that he hadn't come up with a great plan to get her back yet. Sure, he'd been overconfident about it... but he tended to get that way. Besides, he'd had alcohol in his system and he'd been ready to rip Jason a new one for punching him.

'_Well_, _Billy boy_, _you might as well get prepared to find another woman. Trini's mine. That's forever_. _I'm so freaking serious_,' he thought, rage burning deeply within him. He didn't care who got in his way, he intended to deal with them however he saw fit... .

* * *


	12. Chapter 12

Here's the next chappie.

**Huge** thanks to** Lone Nightblade**, **Zeopurple**, **Chylea**, **Moonlite-n-Roses**, **GinaStar**, **Lonly** **Girl**, **Destiny45** and **Dark-Child2** for reviewing the last chappie. Love, love,** love** y'all. :-)

On I go...

* * *

**(December- First Week)**

It was a yet another typically bright and sunny early Saturday morning in California. Things were fairly quiet in the Scott household... that is, until Kimberly decided to let loose a loud, excited squeal. She felt like a kid on Christmas morning. The petite woman hurried into her bedroom and up to her bed. She began shaking her peacefully sleeping husband.

"Jase, wake up! Wake up! C'mon, Jase!_ Jase_!"

Jason's eyes flew open, he quickly sat straight up in the bed and did some sort of a formation with his arms. "Tyrannosaurus!" he yelled.

Kim's eyebrows shot up. '_Okayyy_.' Evidently, he'd been having a dream. She bit back a laugh and just looked at him. "Power down, Scott," she joked.

Jason blinked, then, slowly straightened his arms. He yawned and stretched. "I was dreaming."

"No kidding," she said with a grin.

He smiled a little sheepishly. "It was a great dream, though. You woke me up just as I was getting to the best part. What's up with that, Hart?"

Her grin widened. "I took a pregnancy test and the results were positive."

Jason's sleepiness and grogginess quickly faded. He became totally alert. "Seriously?" She nodded and he grinned happily. "That's great, Pinky," he said before hugging her.

"I know," she said happily. "I'm not gonna get too happy yet, though. After all, pregnancy tests aren't one hundred percent accurate." But it was pretty hard not to get crazy with excitement. She could very well be pregnant right now. A life could be growing inside of her right now. It was just- for lack of a better term- awesome.

He nodded. "True story. But I'm gonna just hope for the best."

"Same here, Rex. We can go to the doctor's sometime next week," she said. Then, she looked down at her flat belly and placed her hand on it. Jason smiled and placed his hand on her belly as well. She looked up and smiled, then, she laughed.

"What's up?" he asked.

"I was just thinking of our moms. They're gonna be psyched if I am pregnant," she said.

"And spoil the kid before it even gets here," he said with a laugh.

"Tell me about it," she said. Then, she sighed. "I better get started on breakfast. What are you in the mood for, Red Dragon?"

"You know what? Why don't we go out for breakfast?" he suggested.

She cocked her head and flashed a radiant smile. "Sure. I'm all for that." They looked at her belly once again, a bunch of different emotions coursing through them now. The couple locked eyes once again and smiled simultaneously.

* * *

"Wow. Talk about _overboard_," Rocky said, shaking his head. "Tan, you've got enough baby clothes here for_ everybody's_ kids." 

Kat laughed. "He's got a great point."

It was noon and Rocky and Kat had come over to Adam and Tanya's for lunch. The two couples were sitting in the den. Anyway, Aisha and Kim had dragged Tanya to the mall the day before and she was showing Rocky and Kat the clothes for little AJ.

"Well, you two know Kim and Ishe. When it comes to shopping, it's overboard or nothin' at all," Tanya said. Her friends and husband laughed in agreement.

"Did they get any Christmas shopping in?" Adam asked.

"Some," Tanya replied.

"What'd ya buy that kick-ass guy named Rocky?" Rocky asked with a grin.

Tanya laughed. "Nothing yet, Rocko. We were only shopping for the hubbies and parents."

"These clothes are adorable, though, Tanya," Kat said.

"Yeah. I think so, too, girl," Tanya said with a smile.

Adam looked at his wife's pregnant belly and, as usual, a smile lit his face. In two months, his son would making his entrance into the world and he could not wait. Two months. Adam's eyebrows shot up, then.

"Something wrong, sweetie?" Tanya asked, touching his shoulder.

"No. I just realized that you're gonna be having the baby in February- when Rocky and Kat's getting married," he said.

"Oh, yeah! I never even thought about that," Rocky said.

"Yeah. Your water could break at the ceremony," Kat said.

"A leaking matron-of-honor. That'd be a sight," Rocky said with a laugh.

Kat looked at her fiance. "You know, Rocky, we could always move it to a later date," she said.

"Uh-uh. Kat, y'all don't have to do that," Tanya said.

"But I really want you to be in my wedding, Tanya. You're like a sister to me," Kat said- causing Tanya to smile warmly.

"And I really wanna be a part of it. But-" Tanya began.

"Tanya, it really is okay. Besides, I want you in it, too. We can't take any chances while you're pregnant- even though it'd be kinda cool to have a baby born on our wedding day. Kat's right. We can move the date," Rocky said. Then, he looked at Kat. "How about the beginning of April? Second Saturday?"

Kat thought for a few moments, then, smiled and nodded. "That'd be great, sweetheart."

* * *

"I honestly think we have to face cold and extremely hard facts," Billy said as Trini followed him into his apartment that evening. 

"What do you mean?" Trini asked.

Billy started to reply until he realized what she'd just said. He laughed and shook his head. "What do you mean? You can't possibly imagine how hilarious it is to hear those words come out of your mouth- especially where I'm concerned." She'd rarely had to ask Billy what he meant about anything... one of the many things he'd always liked about her.

Trini laughed as well. "You know, you're absolutely right."

"Well, when I said we have to face the facts, I was referring to the fact that a truly good movie will most likely never be produced ever again," he said as they sat on his couch.

"Oh, how I love that wonderful optimism of yours," she quipped and he smirked a little. She laughed once again. "I agree, though. That movie was pretty bad. I don't even understand how it made it to the big screen." They'd just come from the movies, needless to say.

"That one baffles me as well," he said with a chuckle. "I can't believe it was a such a tremendous box office success."

"Wonders'll never cease," Trini said.

"I concur," he said, nodding. "So... we haven't eaten yet. Are you hungry? There's still quite a bit more of that pasta salad you made when you came over a few days ago."

"That'd certainly hit the spot," she said.

"I'll get it for us, then," he said, standing. They shared a smile before he headed for the kitchen. Trini sat back and a sigh of contentment escaped her lips.

* * *

"Oh, come on, chief! You can't be serious!" Steve exclaimed that Sunday afternoon. He'd been called into Robert Wilkins' office to receive what he felt was totally ridiculous news. 

The police chief glared at the detective. "I'm rarely ever not serious. You know that by now, Knight. You haven't been showing up for hardly any of your shifts lately and when you do, you're usually late and in a sour mood."

"But you don't under-"

"I'm sticking by my decision. You are suspended until further notice," Wilkins said coolly.

"This is un-fucking-belivable!" Steve exploded.

"One more outburst and the suspension will become a nice, swift firing," the other man said simply. "You can go now. Have a nice vacation."

* * *

Later that night, Steve was in his bedroom in his apartment, drinking his second beer. Suspended. Suspended! He couldn't believe it.Wilkins. That damn asshole. Steve wanted to kill the guy right now. '_Power_ _hungry sonuvabitch_.' But, then, Wilkins wasn't totally to blame. There was also Trini. If she'd have just taken him back like she should've, there wouldn't have been any need for any suspension. 

'_Dammit_, _Trini. You're ruining my life and you don't even give a shit. I don't even know why I want you back. Wait, that's not true. Even though everything's a nightmare right now, I still love you_ _and we do belong together_,' he thought, nodding.

He had yet to come up with a way to get her back where she knew, deep down, she belonged. He howled and hurled his beer bottle towards the wall. The crash hadn't thrilled his neighbor- whom chose to bang on the wall.

"Tone it down over there, you freak!" she said- her voice coming in loud and clear. "God, you're so _weird_!"

"Shut up, witch!" he yelled back. He didn't have time for any crap right now. He had work to do. He needed to figure out how to get and keep Billy away from Trini. There just had to something. There had to be. Maybe he could make the guy... disappear. Or Steve could take Trini and run off with her. Steve sat back and smiled evilly as ideas began floating into his brain.

* * *

**That's all for now. Kind of a filler chpater. Sorry. Cya.**


	13. Chapter 13

And here's the next chapter of "KS".

As always, I love my reviewers. Things are gonna speed up a little bit time-wise. I do that sometimes, LOL!

On we go, y'all...

* * *

**(January- Third Week)**

It was now the third Saturday in January- six weeks later. Kimberly was two months pregnant, Billy and Trini continued to grow closer and closer- even though they'd still yet to actually admit their obvious attraction- and, still, they'd seen not hair nor hide of Steve. Anyway, on this particular afternoon, Aisha was getting ready for Tanya's baby shower- which Kat was throwing. Zack was lying on his side on their bed, looking through some magazine.

Aisha thought of something and grinned. "Sure you don't wanna come with me, baby? Gonna be a lotta fun," she said, keeping her voice light.

"A bunch of women going "aww, that's so _cuuuute_" over baby gifts. You're right, Ishe. Sounds like a kick-ass time," he said, without even looking up. His wife laughed.

"I bet Rocky'd come in a heartbeat," she said as she now applied her eyeliner.

"Why do you say that?" Zack asked.

"Food," she replied- causing her husband to laugh and nod. "Speaking of food, what do you wanna do for dinner later? Home-cooked, takeout, what?" she asked.

"I think I'm the mood to cook for my finer than wine wife tonight," he said, looking up and flashing a grin. She looked at the mirror and grinned as well.

"Gotta love a man that cooks for his lady," she said.

"Mama taught me well," he said- causing her to laugh once again. He got off of the bed, walked up to her and slid his arms around her waist. He rested his chin on her bare shoulder and stared at her reflection. "Look at you. You look blazing, baby."

She placed her hands on his. "Have I told you how much I love you today?"

"No. And I'm givin' ya ten seconds to do it right now," he said, his eyes dancing.

She laughed a little and looked up at him. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Aisha," he said before their lips touched.

* * *

"Trish?" Tanya said some time later. The baby shower was currently going on at Katherine's place and Tanya had just opened the gifts. Her female friends, her mother and their mothers were present. Everyone was talking and eating. 

Trisha- who was sitting in a folding chair- looked up at Tanya. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for cutting in on your time with Tommy. I'd have understood if you-" Tanya was saying.

Trisha waved her hand dismissively and grinned. "It's okay, Tanya- seriously. We got in some quality time yesterday and we have the whole rest of today and tomorrow." Tommy and Trisha were celebrating their one-year anniversary this weekend. "I'm glad to be here. I wouldn't have missed it," Trisha said.

Tanya grinned. "Thanks, girl. You know something? Tommy's one lucky fossil doctor," she said- causing Trisha to laugh.

A short while later, almost everyone'd left and Kat and Tanya was doing a little cleaning. Kat stopped what she was doing and looked at her best friend. "Tanya, will you sit down? You don't need to be doing anything. I can handle it."

"Kat, it's cool. I'm pregnant, I'm not dying. It's not even strenuous work," Tanya said with a laugh. Kat smirked and they resumed cleaning. Tanya grinned. "Thanks for the shower, Wind Chaser. I really loved it."

"What are best friends for?" Kat said with a smile. The two women hugged just as knocking sounded at the door. Kat headed over to it, unlocked and opened it to find Adam and Rocky there.

"Hi, Kat. I'm here to collect my beautiful other half," Adam said with a smile as Kat stepped aside to let them in.

"I'm here for any leftover goodies," Rocky said. Kat gave him a Look. "Oh, yeah. You, too, Kat, I guess," he said, shrugging. Kat swatted him on the arm and he, Tanya and Adam laughed. Rocky kissed Kat's cheek sweetly. "You know you come first, ballerina."

Adam and Tanya exchanged a sweet kiss. "How was the shower?"

"Great. Little Adam got a lotta good stuff," she said. Then, she thought of something. "Adam?"

"Yeah?" he asked.

"I think now is as good a time as any to ask them," she said.

Adam nodded in understanding, smiled and took her hand in his. "You're right, honey."

"What do you guys wanna ask us?" Rocky asked.

"Ask us what?" Kat asked simultaneously.

"Well, we've been meaning to ask for some time now and... we'd like you two to be AJ's godparents," Tanya said.

Rocky's eyes widened and Kat's jaw dropped. The engaged couple looked at each other, then, at their friends.

"Godparents? You want us- guys, that is so sweet," Kat said.

"And nothing would make us happier," Rocky said, grinning.

"We'd be honored," Kat said with a sweet smile. Hugs and handshakes were exchanged then. Rocky shook his head.

"You guys should've known we'd never say no," he said.

"Definitely," Kat said as she curled her arm around Rocky's waist and he draped his arm around her shoulders.

"We weren't worried you'd turn us down. I don't really know why we took as long as we did. I guess we-" Adam was saying, but, his wife cut him off abruptly by gasping and grabbing his arm. He frowned in concern. "Sweetie, what is it?"

"Tanya, are you all right?" Rocky and Kat asked in unison, their voices laced with concern.

Tanya took a deep breath. "My water just broke."

"What?" Rocky exclaimed.

"But you're not due for another two weeks," Adam said, his eyes wide.

"Yeah, but, I don't think your son could really care less," Tanya said with a grimace.

* * *

"We should eat by the fireplace more often," Trisha said that night. They were having wine and a Japanese dinner on the living room floor at Tommy's place. Tommy grinned and nodded. 

"That works for me," he said before clinking his wineglass with hers. "I'm glad Tanya and Adam's son's okay." He, Trisha and the other former rangers had gone up to the hospital earlier to see Tanya and the baby.

"Me, too. But, considering Tanya'd only had two more weeks left, I knew AJ would fine," Trisha said before drinking more of her wine.

Tommy looked around sighed, then, he refocused on his girlfriend. "One whole year."

"Didn't think we'd make it this far," Trisha said, mock serious. Tommy smirked and she laughed. Then, she squeezed his hand. "Doc, this weekend has been fantastic so far. It really has."

"Yeah. But I can make it even more fantastic," he said, looking into her eyes.

"Oh, yeah? Whatcha got in mind?" she asked.

He shrugged casually and sat his glass aside. "Nothing much. Just this," he said... pulling a small, dark, velvet box out of his pocket. Trisha's eyes bugged out and he laughed. "That's a hot look for you, baby."

Trisha placed her hand on her heart and just looked at him. "God, Tommy. Is that, is that really what I think it is?" Wow! She had no idea he'd been planning this.

"I dunno. Let's open it and see," he said, grinning and opening the box. Trisha's eyes moistened and her heart melted at the sight of the gorgeous engagement ring.

"It's so... I love it. I don't think I've ever seen a more beautiful ring," she said, tears now streaming down her face.

"Said the beautiful woman," he said seriously. He took her hand. "Trisha... you came into my life at just the right time and lit up places inside of me that I had no idea even existed. You helped me grow more and you gave me happiness I hadn't felt in a long time. I love you with everything I have in me and I know, I _know_ that I always will. I wanna spend the rest of my life showing you what you mean to me and making you happier than you can stand. Will you marry me?"

Trisha's heart was overflowing with powerful emotions- as was his. She nodded. "Over and over again. I'd love to be with your wife," she said tearfully. He slipped the ring onto her finger, they stared at it for a few moments, exchanged loving smiles, then, embraced. "Damn you for making me cry, Oliver," she said, feigning anger. They both laughed and embraced even tighter.

* * *

"Uh-uh. No way, no how. Forget it, dude," Ron Knight said, shaking his head and walking away. 

Steve glared murderously at the back of his cousin's head. He'd come over to Ron's rundown apartment a few minutes earlier to request his help in getting Trini. "Look, Ron, you're in no position to be saying no to anything I ask you. You owe me big."

Ron spun around to face his cousin. "_Owe_ you?"

Steve folded his arms over his chest. "Do I really need to stand here and list all the not-so-innocent things you've done over the last few years? Huh? We both know that you're no stranger to the wrong side of the law, Ron. The only reason you're not behind bars is 'cause we're family."

"Come on, Steve. I don't wanna get involved-" Ron was saying.

"Well, you're gonna. Don't act like you're suddenly turning over a new leaf," Steve said harshly.

"Look, man, this is crazy. It's crazy! Why don't you just start moving on with your life or something?" Ron said, throwing his hands up.

"I will- with her. Ronny, you're going to help me with this. Your only other option is prison," Steve said.

"No damn way would you sink that low," Ron said, shaking his head slowly.

"I won't have to if you do what I asked," Steve said.

"Why can't you do it?" Ron asked.

"For the love of- I told you already. She has to think that I've decided to give up and move on. I can't do it. It'll ruin everything. Now, are you in or would you rather spend the next ten or fifteen years of your pathetic life in a jail cell? The choice is yours," Steve said, his voice as hard and cold as steel.

Ron just stared at his cousin for several moments, then, sighed in defeat. "All right, all right. I'm in. I'll do it."

* * *

**A/N**: 

**Yeah, another marriage proposal. I'm just marrying up everybody, LOL. Guess the romantic in me is coming out to play for a lil bit. And that Steve's a big helping of crazy, ain't he? Anyway, hope everybody liked. Cya!**


	14. Chapter 14

Here's the next chapter.

Thanks, as always, to my readers/reviewers. It's nice to see that this fic is getting so much attention!It's encouraging. :-)

**I think everybody's gonna like this chapter.**

* * *

"Are you sure you wanna go through with this? I mean, you can still change your mind, man," Ron said a week later. It was Saturday afternoon and Ron and Steve were in Steve's apartment and Ron was trying his damnedest to back out of the plan. Steve- who'd returned to work five days earlier- sighed in annoyance and shook his head. 

"For the umpteenth time, man: YES, I'm going through with it. And so are you. Stop trying to weasel your way out," he said in irritation. Geez, Ron was a real pain in the ass.

"Look, man, it's just that-" Ron began.

"I see I have to remind you that you only have two choices and one of 'em happens to be prison," Steve said, his voice low.

"Y'know I don't wanna go to prison. But this is just... I mean, you're only asking for trouble here, Steve," Ron said.

"I know what the hell I'm doing, all right?" Steve snapped.

"I dunno, man, You're always coming up with these wild plans and things almost always blow up in your face. Remember when we were kids and-" Ron was saying. An almost maniacal sounding growl escaped from Steve's throat and the police officer roughly shoved his cousin backward. Ron stared up at Steve from the floor in disbelief.

"I don't have time to take a nice, little stroll down memory lane, you idiot," Steve said, glaring down at the other man. "Besides, that was then and this. is. fucking. _now_. This _will_ work."

Ron shook his head, then, stood slowly. "Steve, all I'm saying is that you need to be realistic here, dude. It could _not_ work. What are you gonna do if it doesn't?"

Steve began rubbing his temples. "Ron-"

"I'm not just saying this to get outta helping you out. Okay, I don't wanna be part of it. But, ya gotta _think_, Steve. Seriously," Ron said. He sighed. "Ever stop to think that this is _why_ she doesn't want you back?"

"What do you mean?" Steve demanded, his eyes narrowing.

"Well, you keep trying to force things. You're trying to make her take you back," Ron said.

"Hey, if she'd just cooperate, there'd be no need for any of this," Steve said angrily.

"So it's _her_ fault," Ron said.

"Damn right," Steve snapped. "Look, I love her and I'm not gonna ignore that. I won't let her ignore it, either."

"Gotta tell ya, man... this really doesn't sound like love," Ron said carefully.

Steve's eyebrows rose a little, then, he laughed bitterly. "Is that right? Well, since you're the big expert, why don't you tell me what it _does_ sound like, Ronny. Go ahead."

"Obsession," Ron said quietly.

"Obsession," Steve said slowly.

"Well... if you love a person as much as you claim to love her, you wouldn't have asked me to drug her, then, bring her to you so you could do whatever," Ron said slowly.

"You know what, Ron? Forget the whole thing. Forget the drugging deal. I'll find some other way to get what I want _without_ your help. You're too much of a wuss anyway. So, it isn't even worth it," Steve said seriously. His eyes grew dark then. "I'll say this, though. Your fate's pretty much in my hands... so, I wouldn't screw me over if I were you."

* * *

Kimberly sighed in contentment as Jason massaged her feet. The couple was sitting on their couch in the den and Jason had decided to spend the entire weekend pampering his wife- and he'd gotten no argument from her. No, sir. Jason smiled at his wife. 

"Enjoyin' being spoiled, Pinky?" he said.

"You better believe it, Scott," she said- causing him to laugh. Then, she grinned. "I had this dream last night, Jase."

"Oh, yeah? About what?" he asked as he slowly worked his way up to her calf.

"Well, Trini and Billy had gotten engaged," she said. "It's funny, ya know? I remember telling Tri back in seventh grade that she and Billy would end up getting married. Of course, the way I said it back then was: "Oh, my God, Tri. You guys are so totally meant to be, like, forever!' "

Jason laughed once again as he remembered her valley girl days. Most people would've found her flaky and vain and all that, but, not Jason. He'd be one of the first to admit that Kimberly had had her, well, shallow side, but, he and her close friends had always known that there was much more to her than met the eye. And, actually, he'd liked the fact that she'd been so girly-girl. Even though she'd matured a lot over the years- they all had- there was still some Kimmie in her and Jason never wanted that to change.

"Billy and Trini should just give in already, Rex. They're the perfect match. He's the yin to her yang and all that good stuff," Kimberly said with a smile. Jason chuckled. "I just want them to be happy and I just know that they could be- together."

"I think so, too, Kim. But there's nothing we can do. They've gotta take that step when they're ready, you know?" he said. She nodded her agreement. Then, Jason laughed. "You know what Zack said to me in eighth grade?"

"What?" Kimberly asked.

"Well, remember when I went to Hinton Heights- in eighth grade- because Bulk and Skull'd kept challenging and daring me to?" Jason asked. Hinton Heights was a pretty rough town. Kim narrowed her eyes at the memory, but, nodded slowly.

"Yeah. And I remember trying to kill you when you got home," she said. She'd freaked out big time when Bulk and Skull had told them about the Hinton Heights incident. Zack, Trini and Billy had been worried as well, but, Kim'd nearly had a panic attack. No one could calm her down. When Jason had returned, she'd run up to him and yelled: "Are you outta your_ mind_!? You could've gotten, like, hurt or worse! I'm so glad you're okay! But, since you are, I'm gonna_ kill_ you, Scott!" She'd alternated between hugging and hitting him.

"That was some day," Jason said with a laugh. "I still don't even really know why I went. Maybe I wanted Bulk and Skull off my back or I was just feeling the need to prove something." He shrugged. "Well, anyway, Zack and I were playing basketball the next day and he started going on about how _you_ and _I_ were gonna end up getting married. Yeah. He was saying how he planned to give our kids piggyback rides one day." Kim laughed and he half-smiled. "I just laughed and brushed it off. Didn't think about it again until you and Tommy hooked up. Then, I started to get a little jealous." Kim's eyes widened. He nodded. "Yeah. But I got over it and became happy for you guys. Because you were both my friends and... you were happy. So, nothing else really mattered."

Kim smiled softly as a warm sensation washed over her. "You're way too amazing for your own good and I am so glad you're my husband and that we're gonna be a family in seven months. I'm _always_ gonna love you so much, Jason."

"I'm always gonna love you so much right back, Kimberly," he said before leaning in and kissing her lips softly.

* * *

Katherine smiled as she took in the scenery. She and Rocky were standing side by side on the beach they planned to get married on. It was a gorgeous beach that was twenty minutes away from where they lived. The place was special to them both. They'd spent a romantic Valentine's Day here last year and Kat'd felt it'd be the perfect place to get married. 

"I just love it here," she said. "I'm so glad you surprised me by bringing me here last year. It's honestly one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen."

He nodded. "I second that emotion, Kitty." He smiled at her. "I'm glad you suggested we get married here."

"Me, too," she said, squeezing his hand gently.

"While we're on the subject, do you think we should move the wedding up to, I don't know, March? Y'know, since Tan's had AJ already. Maybe, like, the... third Saturday in March. What do you think, baby?" he asked.

She cocked her head slightly. "Well, I was actually thinking we could move the wedding up myself since little AJ's in town now. But, then, I thought more about it and... I think we should stick to April. Instead of the second Saturday, let's make it the third one... which'll be our two-year anniversary."

Rocky's eyebrows shot up. Their two-year anniversary. Becoming Mr. and Mrs. DeSantos on their anniversary would be perfect. He nodded and grinned. "Again, another fantastic idea. I love it. I'm marrying a genius."

Kat smiled, her eyes dancing. "I'll drink to that," she joked. They both laughed, then, he pulled her close to him and they stared ahead at the relatively calm ocean.

* * *

"It's such a nice day for a walk," Trini said. She and Billy'd decided to take a little stroll in Angel Grove Park- a place neither had been in quite some time. Shockingly, they were the only ones in the park. They'd returned from having lunch a short while earlier. Billy nodded and smiled. 

"I concur. I'm glad we decided to come here," he said.

"Me, too. This place is filled with so many memories," Trini said with a gentle smile.

"Yes, it is," he said. But he was hardly thinking of the park or the memories it held. He was a little busy wondering how much longer could he deny his rapidly growing attraction to the lovely, original yellow ranger to himself. They'd been spending so much time together. It was almost as if they were a couple. Billy truly wanted it to be official, but, being a guy who'd never exactly been the forward type, he was kind of nervous about bringing up the subject. Yeah, it was Trini, but, still. He suddenly felt like he was in junior high once again. Her soothing voice saying his name jerked him back to reality. He blinked and gave her a sheepish smile. "I wandered off. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Are _you_?" she asked.

"Yeah. Why do you ask?" he asked.

"Well, you've been sort of distant since breakfast," she said.

His face flushed- to his sheer annoyance. "Oh, uh... well, I, um... I suppose I'm just..." Just what? What could he possibly say?

"Billy, if you don't wanna talk about it, that's fine. But whenever you do, you know you can tell me," she said. "You can always tell me anything."

"I know," he said quietly. Should he? Should he just risk being un-Billy and go for it? He really wanted to get it all out in the open. He wanted her to know how he felt. He looked into her eyes. "Trini... there's something I'd really like you to know."

"What is it?" she asked.

"Why don't we sit down?" he suggested, gesturing towards a bench. She nodded and they sat. Trini waited patiently for him to speak. Billy swallowed hard. He was really going to go through with this. Yes, it wasn't exactly like him, but, it was Trini... and she was certainly more than worth it. He forced himself to look into her eyes. "Trini, these last few months have been... well, I can't even it verbalize it." She smiled. "Anyhow, I've developed an attraction towards you."

Trini's jaw dropped. The attraction thing didn't surprise her, his admission of it did. She'd been sure she'd have to make the first move. William Cranston was full of surprises... and that was pleasing. She grinned at him and took his hand in hers. "Billy, it works both ways. But... I think you knew that already. I _know_ you knew. We both did. I guess now was as good as time as any to stop lying to ourselves." It was... freeing.

Billy nodded, also feeling an odd sense of freedom. "You're absolutely right."

"And... I'm ready to make it official. I'd really love to give us a chance," she said honestly.

"So would I. A part of me has wanted to do that for a long time, I believe," he admitted.

"Me, too," she said. Then, she leaned forward and hugged him. His arms came around her easily and he couldn't help inhaling the sweet scent of her hair. She pulled away slightly to look into his eyes. Then, their mouths met in a sweet kiss a few moments later.

* * *

**Well, that's the end of "Kindred Spirits"... Thanks for all the support that's been provided. It was really fun to write... you don't really think I'd be THAT cruel now, do ya? LOL. Next chapter'll be on its way sooner or later. Take care.**


	15. Chapter 15

Decided to put another chapter of "KS" out there since it's been awhile for this fic.

I KNEW everybody would like the previous chapter. LOL.

You know how it goes: thanks for the support. :-)

* * *

"Tommy, could you possibly be any_ less_ help?" Kimberly said with an exasperated sigh. 

"Yes!" he exclaimed- causing her to roll her eyes. Jason laughed. It was now the third Friday in March and Tommy had come over to Kimberly and Jason's for a visit. Trisha was handling a few family matters at the moment. Anyway, Kimberly was trying to make him go over wedding plans with her since Trisha wasn't around. Needless to say, the former pink ranger'd been in her wedding planning mode- along with her sidekick Aisha- since they'd been told that Tommy and Trisha had chosen to marry during the first week of June.

Kimberly looked over at her amused husband. "Don't laugh, Rex. Not understanding the importance of wedding planning is not even close to funny. Men."

"Exactly," Tommy said dryly. He cleared his throat when his ex shot him a Look. "Hey, Kim, shouldn't you be resting with your feet up or something? You _are_ pregnant, you know." He flashed her an innocent smile and Jason's amusement grew. Kimberly smirked.

"I'm fine," she said sweetly. "Now, back to the original topic. Flowers."

Tommy gave Jason a "for the love of all that's holy, help me!" look. But his traitor of a best friend simply sat back in his chair and laughed. Tommy nodded. '_Payback's_ _sweeter than candy_,' he thought. Then, he looked at Kimberly. "Kim," he said, unable to help the whiny tone.

"All right, all right. Wow. Has Trish ever heard_ that_ voice?" Kimberly said- causing her husband to laugh once again. This time, Tommy gave Kimberly a Look and she laughed. "Okay, I'm done- for real. I have to get started on dinner anyway." Then, she stood.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Jason said, sitting up straight.

"Why whoa?" Kimberly asked.

"I can handle dinner. Tommy's right. You really should take it easy," Jason said.

"Mr. Natural-Born Protector," Kimberly teased. Then, she smiled softly. "Sweetie, it's fine. I'm pregnant, not dying. I can deal. Tommy, are you gonna eat with us?"

"Only if the conversation doesn't involve color themes and reception halls," he said casually.

"Don't you dare," Kimberly warned her husband- whom she just knew wanted to laugh. Then, she looked at their friend. "I won't make you suffer through anymore wedding plan talk- even though it was really fun."

He smirked. "I knew you had a soul in there somewhere. But, seriously, yeah. I don't mind staying for dinner." She nodded, then, exited the den. Tommy looked at Jason- who was still highly amused. "Thanks for the big help, man."

"It's what I do," Jason joked. Tommy laughed. "It's your own fault, though, bro. You knew how Sha and Kim would be the second they heard you guys were engaged."

"True story. I wouldn't be surprised if they were already planning Billy and Trini's wedding," Tommy said with a laugh. Billy and Trini. Their friends were really happy for them. It was also great that they were still having Steve-free days.

"Give 'em time," Jason said with a smile.

* * *

"Honey, wake up," Katherine said on Saturday morning. She was sitting on Rocky's bed- well, her and Rocky's bed now- shaking his shoulder. Yeah, a month ago, they'd decided to live in Rocky's place for the time being. "Come on, Rocky." 

He groaned and turned onto his side. "I'll call him back later," he mumbled.

Katherine rolled her eyes and laughed. "Rocky, wake up. Breakfast is ready. Come on." She began shaking him again- more insistently this time.

"I don't like this ride," he mumbled before pulling the covers over his head.

'_Maybe I should just wave some sausage under his nose. It worked last time_,' she thought, laughing again. She still couldn't believe how he'd shot straight up in bed when she'd done that. It was a TV moment- definitely. If anyone ever doubted his love for food, they never would've again if they'd seen that.

Just then, he began stirring. She grabbed the covers, freed them from his grasp and pulled them down. His eyes remained closed. She smiled slyly and began tickling him. She tried not to laugh as he squirmed and writhed furiously. When his eyes flew open, he scooted away and looked at her in disbelief. That was her undoing. She began shaking with laughter. He yawned as he sat up straight and stretched.

"I should do that everytime I can't wake you up," she said after her amusement had subsided.

"No way. Not before I use the bathroom," he said- causing her to laugh again.

* * *

Billy and Trini were snuggled up together on his couch that afternoon. The couple felt as though they were in their very own perfect world. Anyway, they'd come back from lunch twenty minutes earlier. Billy smiled. "Lunch was very... morphinominal." Trini laughed and nodded. 

"Very," she agreed. "It's been so long since I've heard that word. I remember actually thinking about it when Zack, Jason and I boarded the plane to Switzerland." When her boyfriend sighed, she looked up at him in mild concern. "What's the matter?"

"Oh, it's... well, it's a little silly- considering that it happened years ago," he said, his face reddening a little.

"What is it? You know you can tell me," she said, smiling.

"Switzerland. To this very day, I still have a bit of trouble hearing the word. All it does is remind me of the day I heard you, Zack and Jason'd been selected for the conference," he admitted. He could still remember how he'd felt and what'd gone through his head. Befriending Adam, Aisha and Rocky had been wonderful, but, the absence of Billy's childhood friends had affected him greatly- particularly Trini's absence. She'd been his constant for as long as he could remember and suddenly... she was no longer there.

Trini sat up straighter and looked into his eyes. "I never told anyone this, but, you were the first person to pop into my mind when I found out we were going. It was why I wasn't as happy as I should've been about the conference."

"Should I apologize for that?" he asked with a smile.

She laughed. "Never."

"Honestly, I wasn't aware that you weren't happier than you appeared to be," he said, cringing inwardly. He'd known her for nearly his entire life and he hadn't even picked up on it. But, then, that was probably because he'd been so unhappy about her leaving.

"I hid it well," she said.

"Something we're both quite good at, I suppose," he said with a laugh.

"Well, there is one thing we- apparently- weren't very good at hiding: how we felt about each other," she said, amusement in her dark eyes.

"And I couldn't possibly be happier about that," he said quietly. He was elated that his feelings for Trini were so evident.

"Neither could I," she said with a warm smile.

* * *

**Just wanted a drama-free chapter.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N**:

Decided to try my hand at another chapter of "**Kindred Spirits**". It's the one fic I've had the biggest problem with- writing-wise. But, since I really enjoy writing it so much, I'm gonna try to push through that stubborn block. (wishes myself luck)

Thanks to all who read the last chapter**. Extra special** thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter. :-)

* * *

"I just can't get over how gorgeous this dress is!" Aisha exclaimed, rubbing the delicate material between her thumb and index finger. "Kat, you're really gonna blow Rocky's mind." 

"Hey, now, Aisha. Let them save that for the honeymoon. There're gonna be kids out there," Trisha quipped- causing everyone to laugh.

It was now the third Saturday in April- a clear and gorgeous morning- and today was Rocky and Katherine's wedding day. The couple had arrived at the hotel near the beach they were marrying on the night before and so had the wedding party- which consisted of their friends and a few relatives. The guests were currently on their way. Anyhow, Rocky and Katherine had separate hotel rooms- Katherine and the women were in hers while Rocky and the guys were hanging around in his.

"So, any butterflies, Kat?" Trini asked with a smile. She and the other bridesmaids- Kimberly, Aisha and Trisha- were wearing lovely, plum-colored dresses. So was Tanya, of course- who was the matron-of-honor.

Katherine- whose makeup had just been done by Kimberly- grinned at Trini. "Sort of. I guess it's just natural jitters. But, at the same time, I couldn't be happier. I can't wait to marry him." Her friends grinned, then, Tanya handed her the wedding dress. "Thanks, Tan. Well, I'm gonna head on in there and get dressed. By the way, are you sure that dress isn't too tight for you, Kim?" Kimberly was now five months pregnant and she and Jason would be finding out the sex of the baby in a week.

"I'm positive, sweetie. It's fine. Seriously. Now, get on in there and get ready. March," Kimberly ordered with a grin.

"Anything you say, general," Katherine said, giving a mock salute, then, turned and headed for the bathroom.

"I'm gonna go and check on the guys," Aisha said.

"I'll go with you, Sha," Tanya said.

"All right. They better not be goofing around," Aisha said as they headed for the door.

"If they are, I'll deal with them. Be sure to tell them that," Trini said, nodding.

"You got it, girl," Tanya said with a laugh, then, she and Aisha exited the room.

* * *

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your lovely bride," Reverend Barrett said with a warm smile. 

His first sentence was like sweet music to Rocky and Katherine's ears. Their mouths met in a loving kiss and loud applause instantly began. When the kiss was over, the newlyweds grinned at the crowd, then, each other. Their eyes were shining with pure love. People thousands of miles away could feel how incredibly happy they were.

"I present to you... Mr. and Mrs. DeSantos!" the reverend said. Cheering joined the applause.

"I'm Mrs. DeSantos now," Katherine said to Rocky, tears filling her eyes all over again. It'd really happened. They'd done it. They were married. She barely heard the cheering and clapping now. All she was aware of at this very moment was her new husband. Her new husband. She was a wife now. Her level of joy increased.

"Mrs. DeSantos... forever," Rocky said, looking into her eyes. He didn't really hear all the noise, either. He could only see and hear her. Rocky'd knew for a fact that he'd never been happier in his heart. He felt as though his heart was going to fly right out of his chest. It really was official now. "I love you so much, Kat."

"I love you, too, Rocky. More now than ever," she said, her voice cracking a little.

"Can I kiss the bride again?" he asked with a grin.

She laughed and nodded. "You better," she said before sharing another kiss with him.

* * *

The reception was being held in a huge tent with a clear top and currently in progress. Everyone was in really high spirits. It was hard not to be. Beautiful day, beautiful wedding. Everything was almost too perfect. Kimberly stood with Trini and Billy. The three lifelong friends were chatting it up and watching the newly married couple. Rocky and Katherine were dancing and smiling at each other as if they were the only two left in existence. 

"They look so wonderful," Trini said with a smile, slipping her hand into Billy's. He smiled and gave her a gentle squeeze.

"Yeah. This was such a great place to get married and I'm just really happy for them," Kimberly said, grinning. Her heart warmed as she remembered her own wedding day.

"I'm quite happy for them as well," Billy said. The mood of this day could lift up the lowest person.

"Their faces are lit up like Christmas trees," Kimberly said.

"They should be," Trini and Billy said at the same time. They looked at each other and grinned, amusement in their eyes.

"So, now you two're speaking at the same time, huh? I told you it was always meant to be," Kimberly teased them. Her friends laughed, then, Kimberly suddenly remembered something and gasped.

"What's the matter, Kim?" Billy asked in concern.

"Is it the baby?" Trini asked, concern lacing her tone as well.

"No, no, no. We're both fine. Don't worry, guys. I just remembered that I left my camera out in the car. I'm gonna run out and get it. Be right back," Kimberly said.

"Why don't you give me the keys? I'll get it for you," Billy offered.

"No, it's okay. I don't mind. Why don't you guys get out there and dance? It's a wedding, folks!" Kimberly said- causing them to laugh.

"Shall we, Miss Kwan?" Billy said to Trini.

"I'd be delighted, Mr. Cranston," she said, then, she looped her arm through his and they headed off.

Kimberly grinned, then, headed over to where Adam and Tanya was standing- which was nearby. "Guys, could you tell Jase that I'm getting the camera out of the car?"

"Sure, Kim," Adam said.

She nodded, then, turned and strode away. When she reached the parking lot, she stopped to scan the lot. It was packed. '_Where'd_ _we park again_?' she wondered with a frown. She cheered silently when she finally spotted Jason's SUV and began walking towards it- a little rapidly. '_I_ _just hope_ _we didn't leave the camera at home. Me without a camera at a wedding_? _People would_ _have heart attacks_,' she thought with a laugh.

When she reached her husband's truck, she took the keys out of her small purse, unlocked the driver's side and opened the door. She leaned forward slightly and tossed the purse into the backseat. '_I'll_ _just give Jason my keys since he's the one with pockets_.'

Just as she was about to get into the truck and check the glove compartment, a very strong arm wrapped itself around her upper body from behind and roughly yanked her to a hard body. Before she could scream, a hand quickly covered her mouth. It was as though he'd known exactly what'd been about to come. Cold panic quickly set in. What the hell was going on? Who was this and what did they want with her?

"We're gonna take a little trip, sweetheart," an unfamiliar, deep voice said into her ear- making her skin crawl. "Of course you know that struggling is useless. It's no problem if you misbehave, though. I'll just have all those lovely wedding guests "soaking" in a nice, relaxing bloodbath."

The words caused a chill Kimberly had never felt and never wanted to feel again. Before she could even attempt to react in any sort of way, he began basically dragging her away from the truck. Her panic level quickly climbed the charts. She had to try and stay calm- for the sake of her unborn child, her loved ones and herself. It was obvious in this guy's tone and terrifyingly strong hold on her... he meant business.

* * *


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N**:

Here's chapter 17. Sorry for the cliffie- not! Hey, gotta leave ya wanting more. LOL.

Thanks, as always.

On I go... .

* * *

Jason spotted Billy and Trini sometime later and began threading his way through the crowd. When he reached his friends, Trini was about to smile, but, something in the original red ranger's face stopped her. Billy took notice as well and exchanged a concerned glance with Trini- who refocused on Jason and placed her hand on his shoulder. 

"Is something wrong, Jason?" she asked.

"I'm just a little worried. Have you guys seen Kim? I mean, it doesn't take this long to get something out of a car," he said, looking around. He'd been super protective since finding out his wife was pregnant.

"That's true, Jason. But, perhaps, she returned to the hotel," Billy offered.

"Yeah," Trini agreed. "I'm sure she's fine and will be coming back in here any minute now, Jason."

Jason nodded. Maybe it _was_ nothing, but, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was a little off. "Well, I'm gonna go up to the hotel and-" he stopped abruptly and frowned. He felt a vibration against his thigh and realized a moment later that it was his cell phone. He pulled it from his pocket, checked the flashing screen and the frown returned. Blocked number. Something inside practically ordered him to answer. "Hello?" No reply. "Hello?" Jason repeated, a little louder this time.

A soft laugh came over the line. "I know something you don't know," a woman said in a singsong voice.

"What? Who is this? Look, I don't have time for some stupid crank call right now so-" Jason was saying.

The woman laughed again. "This is no joke- trust me. No, no, no."

"Then, what the hell is it?" Jason asked, his annoyance and frustration rapidly growing.

"Lemme just put it this way, honey: if you want the little woman and junior to keep breathin'... you'll do exactly as you're told," she said seriously.

* * *

Kimberly was even more tripped out and confused than before. All right. Here she was in what was probably some kind of safe house, seated in a chair. Three people- two men and a woman- she'd never seen in all her living days were in the room with her. They'd demanded Jason's cell phone number and now the two guys were watching the woman as she spoke to Jason. 

'_Who_ _are they_?' Kimberly wondered for the zillionth time. How did they know Jason and that he even had a cell phone? What did they want? First, she'd been at her friends' wedding reception and now... this. It was crazy! She looked around the room. No way was she really going to die here. She took a deep, shaky breath and tried to ignore her wildly racing heart.

The woman on the phone- a green-eyed brunette- rolled her eyes. "Calm down there, tiger," she told Jason in a bored tone. "She's fine. And they'll both stay that way if you cooperate. Hold on a second, will ya?" She took the small phone away from her ear and smirked at Kimberly. "He really loves you. He just started going off on me like nobody's business. Bet it's exciting being married to him, if ya know what I mean. I'd-"

"Oh, just gimme the phone," the brown-haired guy snapped, then, snatched the cell away from the woman and glared at her. "Stay focused or stay out." She smirked at him and he put the phone to his ear. "All right, Scott. Bottom line: we've got something you want, so, it'd be wise to stay in line. No, you can't talk to her. You were just told she's fine. Oh, geez. You know what? Talk to her." Then, he walked over to Kimberly and tossed the phone at her.

She caught it swiftly and put the phone to her ear. "Jase?"

"Kim! Are you all right?" His voice was filled with unadulterated worry. "Who the hell are these people? Did they hurt you?"

"No, I'm fine. I'm okay. I just, I don't know what's going on here," she said, her voice tight.

"I'm sure as hell gonna find out. Listen, try to stay calm. Easier said than done- I know. But, I don't want anything to happen to you or the baby," Jason said.

"Neither do I. I'll try. It's really good to hear your voice right now. I love-" she was saying, but, stopped when the phone was ripped away from her ear.

"Enough talk," the brown-haired guy told Jason. "We'll call you back shortly." Then, he snapped the phone shut and tossed it at the woman. He looked at Kimberly- he was the one who'd snatched her in the first place. "Don't start freaking out on us now. You'll be fine if things go the way they're supposed to. But, if your husband tries anything stupid, if your friends try anything, you'll have to-"

"Who are you?" Kimberly blurted, unable to help it. "How did you know Jason's name? What do you want?"

"You'll find out everything you wanna know soon enough," he said calmly.

* * *

A short while later, Jason, Billy, Trini, Zack, Tommy, Aisha, Adam, Tanya and Trisha were standing outside of the tent, incredibly anxious and worried. Also, confused. Well, Jason wasn't exactly standing. He was pacing back and forth furiously, stopping every three seconds to glance at his phone. He'd chosen to keep Rocky and Katherine out of the loop for now- he wanted them to enjoy their wedding day for as long as they possibly could. 

Trini looked at Billy and began speaking in a low voice. "I really don't understand any of this at all, Billy."

"I know this is going to sound pretty strange coming from me, but, neither do I," he said with a grim smile. He shook his head. "It's rather perturbing. Jason doesn't have any foes- well, not anymore."

"Actually, he doesn't have any enemies that we- or even he- know of," she said. "But what could these people possibly want?"

"I'd say what kidnappers usually desire: ransom. But-" Billy was saying, but, stopped when Rocky and Katherine emerged from the tent. Trisha and the former rangers exchanged glances and Jason stopped pacing almost instantly.

"What is this- a secret meeting?" Katherine asked with a light laugh.

"Are you guys out here making fun of that dance move I made up?" Rocky said, his tone laced with mock suspicion. He and Katherine laughed, then, stopped abruptly when they really took notice of their friends' expressions.

"What's wrong?" Katherine asked warily.

"Yeah. What's happening here? And where's Kim?" Rocky asked. When Jason paled at the mention of his wife, Rocky's concern- along with Katherine's- increased. "Is she all right?" Rocky asked, his tone wary now.

Tommy looked at Jason- who sighed, then, nodded. Tommy shifted his gaze over to the newlyweds and took a deep breath. "All right. Guys, Kim's... we don't know where she is. She was taken. Kidnapped."

"What?" Rocky exclaimed.

"Oh, my God!" Katherine exclaimed at the same time, her eyes widening.

Rocky shook his head rapidly. "Well, what- how do you know-" he began.

"They phoned Jason and informed him," Billy said.

"Two people talked to me. First, it was a woman, then some guy. He said they'd call back and that's what we're waiting... . I don't know what they want and why they grabbed her. I didn't tell you guys right away 'cause, well, it _is_ your wedding day. I just wanted to hold off on it for awhile," Jason said.

"This is terrible," Katherine whispered as Rocky pulled her closer to him.

Jason rubbed his hand over his face, then, looked down at his cell phone and began- once again- silently willing it to ring.

* * *

"Here ya go," the green-eyed woman said as she handed Kimberly a bag from a local fast food joint. "Gotta keep our strength up, don't we?" 

"Are you kidding me?" Kimberly said incredulously. "You actually think I wanna eat right now?"

"Doesn't matter, honey. You've gotta- after all, Baby Scott's depending on you for nourishment and all that," the woman said.

"Like you care," Kimberly snapped. Then, she looked down at the bag. She had to admit that it smelled pretty good. She slowly opened the bag and the woman laughed.

"What, you think I put a bomb in there or something? It's just food- chill. Like we keep tellin' ya- you'll be fine unless your husband or friends decide otherwise," the woman said. "I'm Tina, by the way. So, what are you having- boy or girl?"

Kimberly looked at her as if she'd lost her mind. "I'm not exactly in the mood to socialize right now. I'm sure you can understand," she said sarcastically.

"Wow," Tina said with a laugh. "Relax, little mommy. Just making conversation."

Kimberly rolled her eyes. "Where are those two guys?" she asked. They'd exited the house or whatever when Tina'd returned.

Before Tina could reply, the door opened and in walked the two guys... followed by Steve Knight. Kimberly's jaw dropped. What the... . He smiled and walked up to her. She stared up at her friend's ex-boyfriend, all kinds of thoughts running through her mind. He leaned forward and patted her belly gently, then, squatted down.

"Hey, there, Kimmie. Been awhile, hasn't it? You're really glowing," he said, nodding.

"What are you... wait. This is all_ you_, isn't it?" Kimberly said, her eyes wide.

He looked down at himself and laughed. "I hope so."

"You know what I mean, you jackass," she snapped angrily. "You did this! You're the reason I'm here right now."

"Oh, that. You're half right," he said, then, stood up straight and looked at the guy who'd grabbed Kimberly. "Gimme the phone, will ya?" The guy tossed him the cell.

"Steve-" Kimberly began.

"Hold on a minute, sweetheart," he said, then, began dialing. He put the phone to his ear and grinned at her a few moments later. "Hey, Jase. How ya doing, man? It's me- Steve. Come on. It hasn't been that long. Geez," he said with a laugh. "All right, all right. You're not in the most patient mood right now, are ya? I'm just gonna get to the point. As you know, we've got something you want and you... well, you've got something I want- in a way. Now, let's talk... trade."

* * *


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N**:

Hey, people! How y'all doin'? What's happenin'? Hey, hey, hey. **Did cha miss me**? Okay, I'm through. LOL!

All right. When I last updated this fic, the site was having problems and a few reviews got swallowed. So, for those I didn't thank in a review reply, I'm sorry. It's simply cuz your review was gobbled up by the site. So, thanks to all supporters!

**Special shoutout to my homie/homettes on the message board. Love ya!**

* * *

Jason's entire body tensed at Steve's words and he gripped the cell phone tighter. His friends were watching him with rapt attention. Especially Trini- whom'd become totally alert at the mention of her ex-boyfriend. She walked right up to Jason- who gave her a wary look. She knew that whatever Steve'd just said had something to do with her. 

"Jason, what is it?" she asked.

His eyes narrowed. "Forget it, Steve."

"Damn. The wifey really doesn't mean all that much to you, does she?" Steve said lightly.

"Shut up," Jason snapped harshly. "You're a freaking psycho."

"Right. So, are you sure you don't wanna talk trade?" Steve asked, his tone still casual.

"What I wanna talk is busting both your kneecaps. When the police hears about this-" Jason was saying.

"Uh, Jase? You're talking to the police, remember?" Steve said with a laugh.

Jason closed his eyes. The idiot was right. He had forgotten Steve's occupation. But it was hard to believe- especially right now- that Steve was actually an officer of the law. Jason felt a hand on his arm then. He opened his eyes to find Trini giving him a worried, curious look.

"It's not gonna happen, Steve," he said through clenched teeth.

'_What the hell is that freak saying to Jason_?' Rocky wondered silently.

"So, you're sayin' that you never wanna see Kimmie alive again?" Steve said.

"You know damn well what you're asking is outta the question," Jason said harshly. "Not to mention insane."

"It's pretty reasonable to me. You get the woman you love and, in exchange, I get the woman I love," Steve said.

"Love? What do you know about- you really think this is love. Tell me something, Steve. What color's the sky in your little world?" Jason said. He wanted to kill this guy with his bare hands.

"You don't know crap about what I feel for Trini and I'm not gonna stand here and explain it to you. Now, don't be so hasty with your decision. I'll call you back in a half-hour," Steve said.

"Gotta love a generous guy," Jason said sarcastically.

"I am who I am," Steve said, then, ended the call.

Jason pulled the cell away from his ear and pressed a button. His friends were watching him expectantly. After several long moments, Zack broke the silence. The original black ranger cleared his throat and spoke up.

"What's the deal, Jase? What'd the dumbass say?" he asked his best friend.

Jason looked at him, then, at Trini. "He wants to... trade Kimberly for Trini."

"What?" Tanya, Aisha, Rocky and Tommy exclaimed.

"That dude really needs to sell crazy someplace else," Zack said.

"I won't argue with that," Adam said.

"Oh, my... wow," Trisha said.

Everyone looked at Trini- whose expression was difficult to read. The dark-haired, Asian woman turned and took several steps forward. She was feeling so many different emotions now. She closed her eyes. She really couldn't believe this was happening. After all this time of not hearing from or seeing Steve... and now he'd pulled this insane stunt. Thoughts of killing Steve in incredibly gruesome and unheard of ways began running through the normally composed woman's mind. A fury she rarely felt started to build in her. Her dark eyes opened slowly.

Billy walked over to his girlfriend and touched her shoulder. "Trini?" His voice was quiet. She turned to face him and a gasp escaped his lips when he saw the look in her eyes. "I'm very sorry about all of this. I was truly starting to believe that Steve was no longer..."

"Me, too. He's really crazy, Billy. Kidnapping my best friend... . I can't believe we were ever even together," she said.

"The important thing is that it ended before your emotional attachment to him strengthened," Billy said. Steve was less than human. Kidnapping a pregnant woman, then, agreeing to let her go in exchange for another person? A person he claimed to love. The look on Trini's face at the moment filled him with the overpowering need to shield her from even the slightest pain from here on out. He slowly pulled her into a comforting, firm but gentle embrace.

Trini gratefully accepted the comfort, then, disentangled herself from the genius a minute later. She kissed Billy's cheek softly, then, walked over to Jason and took a deep breath. "I'm so sorry, Jase. I feel like I'm responsible for this in some odd way. I-"

"No. Trini, no. This is not your fault. I want you to put that thought outta your head. You're not to blame for this. Steve is a wack job," Jason said.

"Because of me," she said.

"No," Billy said, coming up to his friend and girlfriend. "Because of himself. He refuses to accept the end of your relationship with him and that is in no way your problem, Trini. Steve's completely reality-challenged."

"Billy's right, Trini. This is all him," Zack said.

"I know. But... I'm gonna give him what he wants. Accept the trade, Jason," Trini said, steely determination in her voice.

Billy's eyes widened. "Trini-"

"Please don't try to talk me out of this, Billy. We have no other choice. It's the only way to save Kim," she said.

"I've always considered Kim family and that will never change. Naturally, her safety is important to me. But, so is yours. Steve's unbalanced and-" Billy was saying.

"There's no other way," Trini said.

"Maybe there is. I'm sure we can figure something out. Maybe we can make him _believe_ we're gonna go through with it somehow," Adam said.

"Yeah. But, we better try and come up with something fast," Tommy said.

"I think it's easier to just accept the trade," Trini said. "Then, I'll figure something out from there."

"No," Jason said firmly.

"Jason-" she began.

"No, Trini. Adam's right. We can come up with another way," Jason said.

Katherine cleared her throat. "I, um, really hate to bring this up right now, but... what about the reception? Do we continue with it as though nothing's happened or..."

"I think we should continue with it and keep quiet. The last thing we need is everyone losing it on us," Rocky said.

"Yeah. Right now, we should just keep this between us," Tommy said.

"I'm with you guys. So, you all should just head back in and I'll wait out here for the jerk's call," Jason said. He looked at Trini. "Please don't fight me on this."

* * *

Steve smiled at Kimberly after looking at his watch. "Time to call your other half, sweetness." 

"You're sick. You are really, really sick. Trini's got a great guy already- he's the total opposite of you. You really need to just back way the hell off, Steve," Kimberly said, glaring at him. She just hated that he'd put Jason in this position.

"Mr. Science isn't even half the man I am," Steve said harshly.

"He's ten times the man you are," Kimberly snapped. "And he makes Trini very happy- something that should matter to you since you're soooooooo in love with her."

"That's a good point," Tina said with a laugh. Steve glared at her and she shrugged. Then, he looked at Kimberly once again.

"That computer nerd's got nothing on me. _He's_ nothing. I'm the kinda man Trini needs," he said, his voice cold.

"Ha! She needs you like she needs pneumonia," Kimberly said bitterly.

"You really need to watch that pretty mouth- especially since your life's in my hands. And so is your unborn brat's," he said. "And you also need to shut the hell up and hope against hope that your husband loves ya enough to take my deal."

"Damn you straight to hell. Jason won't let anything happen to Trini. He won't let her get anywhere near you," Kimberly said fiercely.

"So, you're okay with him choosing her over saving your life," Steve said. "Man. I bet a lotta guys wish they had such understanding wives."

"I don't know what's gonna happen, Steve. I really don't. But, I do know that you're gonna pay for this," Kimberly said seriously.

* * *

"Have you made up your mind yet?" 

Jason sighed. Steve'd just called. "Why don't you just let Kim go? She's got nothing to do with your... issues."

"In other words, the answer's yes. You've chosen not to take my deal," Steve said.

"Let's say I _am_ gonna take it. What the hell do you plan to do with Trini anyway? What, are you gonna run off somewhere with her?" Jason said.

"Not that it's any of your business-" Steve began.

"It became my business when you snatched up my wife. Besides, Trini's one of my best friends," Jason said.

"She just needs to gimme a chance to prove that we belong together," Steve said quietly.

"Steve, she's involved with another guy- a guy she's happy with. Prove this love you keep talking about by leaving her alone," Jason said.

"Billy's not the man for her," Steve snapped.

"You really need to let go of these fantasies. You're wasting your time," Jason said. He was trying to reason with the guy. It may have been pointless, but, Jason was going to try every tactic he could think of. "Look, I know there's another way we can work all this out-"

"They're not fantasies, dammit!" Steve yelled angrily. "Trini's the love of my life! I'm not delusional! And, now, since you've totally pissed me off already, I'm going with Plan B. I didn't want it to come to this, but, here we are. I gave you a simple choice, but, you stupidly gave me a hard time and now you've gotta deal with the consequences."

Before Jason could ask him what he was talking about, an earsplitting shriek of sheer horror sounded in Steve's background- then, two gunshots followed. Jason's eyes widened and his blood froze. The scream had ripped right through his soul. Terrifying thoughts began running through his brain. No. No. It couldn't be. It couldn't be! No. "Kimberly!" he bellowed.

He was met with complete silence.

* * *


	19. Chapter 19

**And here I am with the next chapter. I'm on a lil mission to finish this fic**.

Thanks, as always, for the amazing support and patience.

Now, let's roll, y'all...

* * *

Tommy- whom was standing by the tent's entrance- dashed right out when he heard his best friend yell. The paleontologist hurried up to Jason- whom was pale-faced and gripping the phone tightly. Tommy's insides began twisting. What the hell had Steve said... or done? Jason looked at him and the fear in his eyes unnerved Tommy. 

Steve chuckled. "Before you go bananas on me, Scott... she's fine. I didn't shoot her. She thought I was gonna, but, I didn't. She's cute when she's nervous. Here. Talk to him to prove you're okay. He won't take my word for it since he's got huge trusting issues."

"Jason?" came Kimberly's tight voice a few moments later.

Jason actually felt like singing. The panic quickly vanished. "Man, it's good to hear your voice, Pinky. Did he shoot anyone?" Tommy's jaw dropped at that.

"No," Kimberly said. "He just shot in my direction."

"Psycho idiot," Jason muttered. Tommy gave him a questioning look and he shook his head- letting Tommy know that no one had been shot. "Kimberly, I'm gonna get you outta this. Don't worry."

"I don't want Trini sacrificing herself," Kimberly said.

"Don't worry," Jason told his pregnant wife in a calm voice.

"Jase, what are you gonna do?" How are-" she was saying, but, was cut off abruptly. Jason heard a few muttered curses.

"Enough talk, Scott," Steve told him. "I've decided to give you another chance. Are you gonna take the deal?"

"I'll do anything to protect my wife," Jason said evenly. "If it's a trade you want, it's a trade you'll get." Tommy didn't even react to that statement since he knew Jason would never endanger a loved one's life. He was obviously up to something.

"Really? You're accepting the trade?" Steve's voice was filled with unmistakable skepticism.

"Even Trini's willing to do it. You wanna talk to her?" Jason asked, his voice casual.

"Of course!" Steve said eagerly.

"She'll be out in a second," Jason said. He mouthed "get Trini" to Tommy- who nodded, turned and re-entered the tent. Several moments later, Tommy returned with Trini- and Billy. "Here she is now," Jason said. Then, he took a deep breath and looked at Trini. She nodded slowly and he handed her the phone.

"Steve," she said calmly.

"Trini," he breathed. "You have no idea how much I've missed you- and us. But, now, we have another chance. We can start over. It'll be so much better this time around. I promise. I know you're with Billy, but, Trini... I really think you and I should give it another shot. He's a nice guy and all, but- see, if I didn't think you were my other half, I'd back off. I really would."

"I'd really like to see you again. We've got so much to talk about," Trini said, ignoring the waves of revulsion washing over her.

"We sure do," he said.

"Where are you?" she asked.

"I'll tell you that after I have your word- and Jason's- that you guys won't pull any stunts. If this isn't real-" Steve was saying.

"Jason loves his wife more than anything, Steve. Also, she's my best friend. We'd never risk her life," Trini said.

"Well... I need a few minutes. So, I'll get back to you," he said, then, ended the call.

Trini pulled the cell phone away from her ear, sighed and looked at her boyfriend and friends. "He'll get back to us."

* * *

Trini and Billy stood several feet away from Jason and Tommy- whom were standing by the tent's entrance, talking heatedly about a plan. Billy looked at his girlfriend- whom was staring straight ahead, her lips pursed tightly. He placed his hand on her back and she looked at him. The couple just stared at each other for a few moments before sharing a hug. 

"I just can't believe I ever thought I loved him," she said, shaking her head slowly.

"You're simply human, Trini," Billy said. "What boggles_ my_ mind is Steve honestly believing he understands what love is."

"Someone should've explained the difference between obsession and love to him," she said. Then, she looked into Billy's eyes and smiled softly. "I did think I loved him, but... I _know_ I love you."

He smiled. This was the first time the subject of love had come up. "I love you, too, Trini. Which is exactly why Steve will never get what he wants."

"We're just gonna make him think he will," she said. '_Kim_, _I am so sorry_. _But, you'll be just fine_. _Whatever happens, you and your baby will be fine_.'

* * *

Kimberly looked down at her belly and placed a hand on it. '_Baby_, _we'll get outta this. Somehow_, _some way_,' she told her unborn son or daughter silently. She looked up to see what her "companions" were up to now. Steve had disappeared, but, Tina and the two guys were just standing around. "Where's Steve?" She hadn't even seen him leave the room. 

The brown-haired guy looked over at her- his eyes were filled with irritation. "Out," he said abruptly.

"No need to be so suspicious and paranoid. It's annoying," the black-haired guy said to the former ranger.

Tina cleared her throat and grinned at the two men. "Could you guys come with me to that bedroom for a sec? There's some things I need to say that the mommy-to-be doesn't need to hear."

"Whatever," the black-haired guy said. The brown-haired guy shrugged, then, he and the other guy followed Tina.

Kimberly sighed. She honestly didn't care what Tina had to say. She just wanted this mess to be over with. The brunette looked down at her belly once again and began slowly rubbing it. Just where the hell was Steve?

A couple minutes later, Tina returned and walked right up to her. "Come on. Let's get moving."

"What? Where are going now?" Kimberly asked, frowning.

"Just come on," Tina said impatiently.

"Why? Where are those guys?" Kimberly asked slowly.

"Will you just get up?" Tina snapped with an annoyed sigh. "We have to go."

Kimberly stood slowly, her eyebrow raised. Tina seemed almost frighteningly... determined. She grabbed Kimberly's wrist and began leading her towards the door before the petite woman could say anything. Once they were outside, Kimberly jerked her wrist free. "What are you doing?" she demanded.

Tina looked into her eyes. "Isn't it obvious? I'm getting you the hell outta here and back to your husband where you belong."

* * *


	20. Chapter 20

Big thanks, as always, to all my supporters.

Now, let's get the party started once again.

**Warning**: Short chapter.

* * *

"Why would I trust you?" Kimberly asked skeptically. 

"I'll explain it all in the car," Tina said.

"I'd rather hear it now," Kimberly shot back. "Where are those two guys?"

"They'll be "asleep" for a little awhile. Now, let's go," Tina said.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," Kimberly said.

Tina looked up at the sky and began speaking silently. Then, she sighed and looked at Kimberly. "You have to, Kim. I'm trying to help you- and Trini."

"Oh, please. You're in on this whole-" Kimberly began.

"Maybe I should properly introduce myself. I'm Tina Richards... _Detective_ Tina Richards," Tina said before pulling a wallet out of her pocket, opening it and revealing a badge.

"You're a_ cop_?" Kimberly exclaimed.

"You got it. Now, we have to get outta here before Steve comes back from wherever the hell he is. I'm begging you, Kimberly. Please. This is not a setup. I promise you that. Please, please, _please_ come with me. We don't have much time," Tina said.

Kimberly sighed. Tina seemed completely and totally genuine here. Kimberly had a gut feeling this was no act. "Okay. Fine. Let's go."

* * *

"So, what's the deal, Tina? Why'd you go along with this plan?" Kimberly asked a few minutes later. The two women were in an SUV, practically flying down an almost deserted road. 

"Steve has been my friend for a long time, Kimberly- since high school- and he was always a great friend to me, too. Not to mention just a great guy in general. But he changed- for the worse- after his breakup with your friend. I barely recgonized him anymore. Anyhow, he approached me with this... insane idea. That's when I knew," Tina said, sounding sad.

"Knew what?" Kimberly asked.

"That, that he'd gone off the deep end. But, I pretended that I was all for helping him out... he has no idea that I came up with a little plan of my own. After he told me about what he wanted to do, I went to our chief and told him everything... and we both agreed that setting Steve up was the best idea," Tina said. "There are two cops a few blocks away- waiting to hear from me. They're gonna be at the safe house when Steve comes back... and I'm sure you know the rest."

"Wow. I'm sorry about the whole good friend going wacko thing. I know how hard this must be for you," Kimberly said seriously.

"It definitely ain't cake," Tina said with a chuckle. "But, you're pregnant, Kim. You have a husband that loves you both... you're pretty lucky. I'm so sorry about all of this."

"Don't be. This is all Steve. Thank you for helping me. By the way, who are those other guys?" Kimberly asked.

"Two guys that've done plenty of things that could land them both in prison for life. Steve said he wouldn't turn them in if they helped him out. God, he's not even human anymore," Tina said, shaking her head. "Could you get the cell phone outta the glove compartment?" Kimberly opened the glove compartment and handed Tina a small phone. "Thanks," Tina said before dialing.

'_Wow_! _This is all really... wow_,' Kimberly thought, shaking her head.

* * *

"What the hell's taking that nut so long to call back?" Jason said in annoyance. He looked down at his cell phone and narrowed his eyes. "If he's playing some stupid game..." 

"I really am sorry about this," Trini said, shaking her head. Billy placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Jason looked up at his friend. "You shouldn't be," he said quietly. "It's his own fault that he's a wack job." He'd assure her as many times as he had to.

"Jase is right, Trini. Steve's really messed up," Tommy said just as his fiancee emerged from the tent. Trisha walked over to Tommy and he instantly pulled her to him. She looked at him for a few moments, then, Jason.

"What's happening?" she asked softly.

"Good question, Trish," Jason said grimly. "The idiot tried to make me think he shot Kim. Then, he talked to Trini for a bit and said he'd get back to us. We're waiting."

* * *

"I need to call Jase. I know he's probably losing his mind right about now," Kimberly said to Tina sometime later. They were now heading away from the police station. Steve and the other two guys had been caught and was currently being handled. Steve had been eerily silent the whole time and there'd been the strangest look in his eyes. 

"Can't blame him. Here ya go," Tina said, tossing the other woman her cell phone.

"Thanks. Steve really looked... wow. Kinda creeped me out," Kimberly said.

"In his mind... I betrayed him," Tina said with a sigh.

Kimberly squeezed her shoulder. "I know it's hard to accept that he's-"

"Off his rocker? You bet it is," Tina said with a small smile.

Kimberly nodded, then, quickly dialed Jason. He answered almost two rings later and a smile lit her face.

"Steve?" he said.

"Actually, it says Kimberly on my birth certificate," she said with a laugh.

"Kim! Are you all right? Where's Steve?" Jason asked urgently.

"You don't have to worry about him- none of us do. It's all over. Jase, I'm on my way back to you right now," she said.

"You are? But how's that-" he began.

"I'll tell you guys everything when I get there," she promised.

"I love you, Kim," he said, his voice low.

Her heart soared. She felt like a kid in a candy store everytime he said those words and she had a feeling that that'd never change. "I love you, too, Jason."

* * *

**Better than no chapter at all. LOL.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Here's another update. I'm thinking I've got a few more chappies left in me.**

**As always, big thanks. **

**On I go...**

* * *

It was now nearly two months later- first Saturday in June- and Trisha and Tommy's wedding reception was currently in progress. Yeah, they'd officially become Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Oliver today. The newlyweds were now in the center of the floor at the hall they'd rented out, dancing and laughing. 

Billy and Trini were sitting at a table, holding hands, and watching everyone with smiles on their faces. Zack, Aisha, Tanya and Adam were on the dance floor, Rocky and Katherine were at another table- Rocky was stuffing his face while Katherine seemed to be teasing him- and Jason was busy following Kimberly everywhere she went.

Trini laughed. "His overprotectiveness can be sort of cute- sometimes." Billy laughed in agreement. She smiled at him. "You know, it's really no surprise that he and Kim are having a son."

"None at all. It's a little difficult to imagine Jason's first child being anything but," Billy said with a chuckle.

"Absolutely," Trini said, nodding. "Jason: The Sequel." Billy nodded and laughed.

"If their next baby's a girl, I'm almost completely convinced her first word will be 'mall'," he said- causing his girlfriend to laugh. Just then, the opening of a ballad began streaming through the speakers and Billy looked at the lovely, original yellow ranger. "May I have this dance?"

"Of course. But my date's coming back any minute now, so, we have to be very quick about it," Trini said, a teasing glint in her warm eyes. He laughed and they stood. Billy took her hand and led her out to the dance floor. She curled her arms around his neck and he circled his arms around her waist. They began swaying to the music... gazing into each others' eyes.

'_I_ _cannot believe how incredibly happy I am right now. Everytime I'm in his arms_, _I feel like I'm where I belong for the rest of my life_,' she thought. Now, with anyone else, it'd have probably been a little premature to be thinking this way. But, this was Billy... and they were kindred spirits.

* * *

"This place is beautiful, Billy," Trini said two weeks later- Saturday night. "But, it seems as though it'd be kind of expensive. We could've had dinner somewhere else. That really would've been fine, honey." The couple were being led to a table in a Stone Canyon restaurant. Billy gave her an assuring smile. 

"It's perfectly okay, Trini," he said.

"But it's not a special occasion or anything, sweetie. I know you're not exactly lacking in the financial department, but, you don't have to-" she began.

"I want to, sweetheart. It may be a bit costly, but, I'm fine with that because you're worth it and so much more," he said as he pulled her chair out for her.

She grinned when he sat down across from her. "Have I ever told you that you are, without a doubt, the sweetest, most wonderful man in the world?"

He reached across the table and took her hand. "I'm also the most fortunate man in the world."

"That makes me the most fortunate woman," she said as he lovingly squeezed her hand.

"Would you mind hearing again how stunning I think you look?" he said with an adorable smile.

"I could never get tired of it," she said. A short while later, they were both eating their meals. "The food here is amazing. But, then, I expected that."

"So did I," he said with a light chuckle.

"By the way, my parents invited us both over for brunch tomorrow," she said.

"That sounds nice," he said, nodding. "Would you like to go anywhere else after we're finished here?"

Trini cocked her head slightly and began thinking. She didn't want the night to end. Whenever she and Billy were together, they both wanted it to last. Everything was always so... right. "Well, maybe we can go for a walk on the beach. Is that okay?"

"Of course. I love our walks," he said.

"So do I. It's so relaxing and refreshing... and romantic, naturally," she said with a soft smile.

"Affirmative. Anything involving moonlight is romantic," he said, smiling as well.

Sometime later, the former rangers were both walking along the beach, hand in hand, laughing and talking about humorous incidents that'd occurred during their childhood. It was always fun to reminisce. Pretty soon, they stopped walking and turned to stare out at the dark water. They were the only ones on the beach. Not that they would've noticed any signs of other human life- seeing as how wrapped up they were in each other.

Trini turned her face up toward the sky. "Look at that. It looks like something right out of a storybook."

"Or maybe a painting," he said. They looked at each other. Billy was suddenly seeing the girl whom'd unknowingly caught his heart without even really trying all those years ago. Trini Kwan was a rare treasure and he was immensely proud to be the man she loved. He lifted his hand and began gently stroking her cheek. "I love you," he whispered.

Her heart warmed. "I love you, too." Their lips met the second the words left her mouth.

* * *

"We owe him, bro," Jamal Edwards- a muscular, bald, African-American man- said a little bit later that night in a low voice. 

"Big time," Mark Simmons- a well-built, Caucasian man with blond hair and brown eyes- said, nodding.

The two men were sitting at a sort of rickety table in a seedy bar that was located right outside of Stone Canyon. They'd been in the bar, drinking and expressing their frustrations to each other for nearly two hours. They'd also been talking about the plan they'd been working on for the last month. It was very important that everything was done correctly. They couldn't afford to screw anything up.

"I can't believe he's really locked up," Jamal said, shaking his head.

"Talk about injustice. Man. He's saved both our asses plenty. If it wasn't for Steve, we'd both probably be in some stupid courtroom getting the death penalty right now," Mark said, sighing.

"We're lucky as hell," Jamal said.

"And that's how it's gonna stay. Steve's not gonna rat us out. Even if they tortured him," Mark said. "He'd never take us down, too. Let us suffer because he's suffering.

"They got the dude all wrong, man. All wrong. Hell, all he wanted was love," Jamal said, anger flashing in his eyes.

"When the hell did _that_ become a crime?" Mark said, his tone irate. He downed some more of his beer. "Damn women."

"Can't live with or without 'em," Jamal muttered.

"Ain't it the truth? But, we're gonna have a sweet-ass time with 'em in Cancun," Mark said, grinning. Jamal grinned as well.

"Hell, yeah. Can hardly wait," he said. Cancun's where they planned to go after they'd... executed their plan.

"Same here," Mark said. "But, first, we do for Steve what he can't do for himself."

"It's a damn shame. I know the guy's miserable. She deserves to be, too," Jamal said.

"Which is why we're gonna do the only thing that makes sense: take out this Billy guy," Mark said seriously.

* * *


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's Note**: _I decided to try and crank out another update for this. I was blocked- I still sort of am, LOL- but, I chose to ignore it as best I can and plow on through._

**To Everyone**: _Your patience is very much appreciated._

**Well, let's get down to business**...

* * *

Trini stepped off the elevator in her apartment building on Monday evening and headed around the corner- she'd just left work. When she reached her apartment, she frowned at the sight of a folded piece of paper taped to her door. She looked around, then, removed the paper, unfolded it and began reading silently... '_Roses_ _are red, violets are blue, Steve's practically dead and the fault_ _lies entirely with you. Pretty good, huh? Ha, ha, ha. But, let's get serious here. Don't think for another second that you won't pay, sweetheart. Don't get too comfortable in your happy relationship because your little fairytale will be coming to an end before you know it. See ya around, babe_.' 

She reread it several times before allowing the words to really register in her brain. Her blood went ice-cold. One thing was for certain: this was no prank. Her mind began whirling as she absently gripped the paper a little tighter. Who could've written this? It was obviously one of Steve's friends... but, who?

She had to call Billy.

* * *

"Unbelievable," Jason muttered sometime later. He, Kimberly and Billy were all in Trini's apartment. When Trini'd called Billy, he'd been on his way to Jason and Kimberly's to see about a problem they'd been having with their computer. Billy'd informed Jason of what had happened and... here they were. 

Kimberly put a comforting arm around Trini. "Tri, I am so sorry. I really thought all of this mess was over and done with," she told her longtime best friend.

Trini gave her a slightly sad smile. "It may never be over, Kim."

"Oh, don't talk like that, sweetie," Kimberly said, her heart twisting.

"I'd love nothing more than to believe that Steve is truly out of my life, but, after reading that note... well, it changes things," Trini said.

Billy- whom was sitting on the other side of her- squeezed her hand. He felt helpless- not to mention angry, of course. He despised the helplessness and the fact that he had absolutely no idea what to even say. It was Rocky and Katherine's wedding all over again. He understood exactly what Trini was feeling and _why_ she was feeling it. Steve Knight was their personal gray, gloomy cloud.

Jason was now standing by the window, studying the note once again. He looked up and at Billy and Trini. "We all know that it's more important than ever you two stick close together."

"You won't hear any objections from me, Jason," Billy said.

Jason nodded slowly. "Trini, I know that you're more than capable of taking care of yourself, but, you shouldn't go many places at all alone," he said in his "I'll always be the big brother so just get used to it" voice.

"You're right," Trini said. The fact that Jason seemed to honestly believe that he was responsible for them until they all left the earth may have been sort of irksome as well as touching, but, she completely agreed with him about this.

"Yeah. Until this guy makes his next move, make sure you're around a lot of people as much as possible. Never hesitate to call me, Zack, Tommy, Rocky, Adam and, of course, Billy," Jason said.

"I won't, Jase," she said, giving him a grateful half-smile. Then, she looked at Kimberly. "Do you want anything? Tea? Water?" she asked the expectant mother.

"I'm fine," Kimberly assured her. She was so furious with Steve. He seemed liked the type that would actually try and haunt you for the hell of it after he died. Kimberly looked at Billy and Trini. They were two of the most important people in the world to her, two of the best people she knew. They didn't deserve harassment from random lunatics.

The four old friends just sat and stood in silence- each of them thinking of pretty much the same thing. Finally, Kimberly spoke up again.

"Why don't we go to our house and have dinner? Just the four of us," she said.

"The _five_ of us," Trini said with a gentle laugh as she patted Kimberly's belly.

"Oh, right," Kimberly said with a laugh. She looked down at her belly. "Sorry Mommy forgot about you, honey." She looked up again and at Billy and Trini. "So, how 'bout it, guys?"

"Sure," the couple said in unison.

* * *

A few hours later, Billy and Trini were on the sofa in his apartment. The television was on, but, they weren't really seeing the colorful images flashing on it. They were both deep in thought- as they had been at Kimberly and Jason's house. Their friends- Kimberly, especially- had done all they could to keep their minds off of things, but, nothing had really worked. They'd also had a quiet drive to Billy's. 

Billy looked over at his girlfriend. "Trini?"

"Hmm?"

"Would you... like to stay over tonight?" he asked.

She looked at him and smiled softly. "I take it that'd make you feel more comfortable."

"It would," he said with a slightly shy smile.

"Then, I will," she said, nodding.

"Your clothing. Should we go to your place now and get-" he began.

"I think we can wait a little bit for that. Right now, I just wanna sit here with you," she said, moving closer to him. "Just like this." He smiled and wrapped his arms around her. She looked at him. "How worried are you?"

"Well, I can't verbalize it, sweetheart. But I'm certainly more worried for you than I am myself," he said.

"And I'm more worried for _you_ than I am myself," she said.

He chuckled. "I suppose that's the true meaning of love."

She smiled. "I suppose so." He kissed her forehead, then, they embraced tightly.

* * *


	23. Chapter 23

**Here's the next installment.**

**Again, thanks for the feedback. Much appreciated.**

**One reviewer mentioned something about them calling the cops. That makes a LOTTA sense, but, it's just TOO easy for somebody like me. I just_ have_ to try and be complex. LOL!**

**Onward I go, y'all...**

* * *

It was now the second Saturday in July and Kimberly's baby shower- which had taken place at Zack and Aisha's- had just wrapped up. Everyone'd left except Trini, Trisha, Katherine and Tanya. Zack'd immediately "escaped" when the first guest'd arrived- he was out with Rocky and Jason. 

Kimberly- whom'd be having Jason's and her son next month- beamed at her friends. "Thanks again for the shower, girls. I loved it."

"No problem, sweetie," Aisha said.

"We were happy to do it," Katherine said. The others nodded in agreement.

"So... Trisha and Kat... next year this time, one of you guys might be announcing that a baby Oliver or DeSantos is on the way," Kimberly said, her eyes dancing. Her two friends laughed.

"You never know," Trini said with a smile.

"True story," Tanya said. Then, she thought of something. "Hey, Aisha?"

"What's up, Tan?" Aisha asked.

"When are you and Zack gonna be bringing a little Taylor into the world?" her successor asked, grinning.

"I'd like to know that myself," Katherine said.

"Same here," Trisha and Kimberly said in unison.

"I'd be lying if I said I haven't been wondering the same thing," Trini said with a laugh.

Aisha half-smiled. "Well, actually... never mind," she said, then, prepared to stand. Kimberly narrowed her eyes and grabbed her other best friend's arm.

"You're not going anywhere, shopping partner in crime. Spill," the original pink ranger ordered.

Aisha laughed. "Okay, okay. Don't hurt me, Scottette," she said, then, cleared her throat. "The truth is, you ladies will be seeing a little Taylor sooner than you think. I'm three months pregnant." After the happy squeals and congratulatory hugs had taken place, she spoke up again. "Zack and I are happy as all get out. We were planning to tell everyone next week, but, oh, well."

"This is just fantastic!" Kimberly said, giving Aisha another hug.

"Definitely. I'm so happy for you and Zack," Trini said, grinning.

"Thanks," Aisha said. Then, she gave Trini a concerned look. "I don't mean to bring the mood down, but, how's everything, Tri?"

"Have you or Billy gotten any more notes?" Tanya asked.

"No, we haven't- fortunately. Everything's been okay so far. Probably because I've been following the captain's orders," Trini said teasingly- causing everyone to laugh. They all knew she was referring to Jason. She sighed. "But, seriously, Billy and I are keeping our guards up."

Everyone nodded. They- excluding Trisha, of course- were former rangers, so, they knew all too well about never letting your defenses down. They were very experienced.

"It'd be great if that loon's actually given up," Trisha said.

"No doubt," Tanya agreed.

"It would be wonderful. I'd love nothing more than to get my hopes up," Trini said.

* * *

"You guys are_ never_ gonna get away with this," Detective Tina Richards said in a fierce, angry tone that night. 

"I beg to differ, sweetness," Mark said.

They and Jamal were in an abandoned, musty-smelling warehouse. The two men had grabbed Tina almost an hour ago- she was tightly tied to a chair and the guys were standing in front of her. Tina'd put up as good a fight as any woman could against two, strong, dangerous men. At least she had that.

"What do you guys even want? And who are you?" she demanded for what felt like the fiftieth time. The two guys looked at each other and laughed. Her stomach clenched and her dread grew even stronger, but, her face revealed no fear.

"We're good friends of Steve, baby. Remember Steve?" Jamal said.

"The guy you set up?" Mark said as he and Jamal slowly walked up to her.

Tina's blood froze. They'd told her their names earlier. Steve had never mentioned them- not to her anyway. She had a feeling why he never had... . "Steve. I'm guessing you guys are among the people he's "helped" outta "sticky" situations."

"That's right. Hey, Mark, why don't you give the lady what's behind door number two?" Jamal said- causing his buddy to laugh.

"If it wasn't for you, he'd be free right now," Mark said, his eyes darkening.

"Steve always said you were a friend. Bet he's regretting that right about now," Jamal said flatly.

Tina glared at them. "I was doing my job."

"Who cares?" Mark said coldly.

"He kidnapped a pregnant woman," Tina snapped.

"I'm still on 'who cares'?" Mark said.

Tina's eyes blazed. "You are so..." her voice trailed off.

"We've heard 'em all, honey. Look, it's not like Steve was gonna kill the chick and her little unborn rugrat," Jamal said.

"Yeah. All he wanted was a simple trade. The pregnant babe for his lady. What was the big damn deal?" Mark said, throwing his hands up.

"The big deal is that it was an _insane_ plan. The big _deal_ is that not only did his ex want nothing more to do with him, she was involved with another man- and _happy_. Steve couldn't and wouldn't accept that. He _needs_ help," Tina said. Her voice was harsh. "And if you cared so much about him, you'd agree with me."

Mark slapped her hard across the face. "Bitch! If you gave a damn about Steve, you wouldn't have stabbed him in the back by helping some broad you didn't even know and getting him locked up!"

"All he wanted you to do was help him get his girl back! What the _hell's_ wrong with you?" Jamal exclaimed in genuine disbelief.

"You're asking _me_ that!? You're both obviously crazy!" Tina said.

"Shut up!" the two men barked.

"As for the man she's "so happy" with, that's not gonna be a problem for much longer," Mark said with a cold smile, grabbing Tina's hair and jerking her head back. She winced and he chuckled. "We're not gonna let all of you get off scot-free while Steve rots in that hellhole. Ain't gonna happen, love."

"You have no idea how many friends Trini has. They won't let you hurt her or her boyfriend. If something does happen to either of them, you'll both pay in ways you can't even imagine," Tina said.

"You're not that bright, are you?" Jamal said, laughing.

"Yeah. I'd say she's dimmer than dim," Mark said, nodding slowly. He gripped her hair even tighter- causing her to cry out. She yelped when he yanked on her hair. He smirked and yanked on it again. "This is pretty fun. Try it, Jamal."

Jamal grabbed her hair and yanked as hard as he could. Mark laughed when tears sprang to her eyes. Jamal yanked again and she whimpered- to her utter disgust.

"Hurts, doesn't it? Pain. That's what our boy's feeling right now," Jamal said, glaring down at her.

"Not to mention red-hot rage," Mark added. "Ever felt that before, Tina? Huh? Ever been so unbelievably pissed that you could literally rip someone's heart right out of their chest? Or at least rip off both arms and beat them within an inch of their life?"

"Or tightly squeeze their necks... cutting off their oxygen completely? I gotta tell ya, I've aways liked that one. Watching the face lose its natural color... . Good times, good times," Jamal said with a wistful smile.

"Nothin' like the good ol' days," Mark said sadly. Then, he looked at Jamal and they stepped back simultaneously. "She owes him her life. You wanna do the honors or should I?"

"You can take it, bro," Jamal said calmly.

"Thanks, my good man," Mark said, reaching behind him and retrieving a gun. Tina's eyes widened, but, she couldn't scream... she couldn't even scream. She couldn't utter a word. Mark shook his head. "Too bad you never got to learn the true meaning of loyalty, baby. This one's for you, Steve."

Without the slightest hesitation, he aimed the gun at her chest and fired three times.

* * *


	24. Chapter 24

**Chose to put another chappie out here**.

**I was considering making this fic a little longer than I originally wanted it to be. But, since I'm VERY anxious to start on another fic, I've chosen not to.**

**Thanks, as always, for the feedback**.

**I guess we should get the show on the road now**...

* * *

It was now five days later- Friday evening. The people of Angel Grove now knew of Tina Richards' death. Her body'd been discovered outside of a warehouse just three days earlier by a man. It seemed as though the murderer had _wanted_ her to be found. The first eleven rangers and Trisha were pretty shocked- not to mention saddened... . 

The original blue and yellow rangers were sitting on Trini's sofa. Billy'd come directly to his girlfriend's apartment after leaving work. The two of them had been filled with an even stronger desire to be in each others' sight as much as possible since hearing about Tina. Trini sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time- to her, anyhow.

"We may not have really known Tina, but, she was a really big help to us," she said.

"I concur," Billy said, nodding.

"This is just terrible. Especially knowing that the killer could..." Trini let her voice trail off.

But Billy didn't need her to finish. He closed his eyes. Concern for Trini and himself and sadness for Tina weren't the only emotions he was experiencing. There was also sheer... exhaustion. He was exhausted. Incredibly tired of a man whom was currently behind bars. He opened his eyes slowly to find Trini looking at him. "I'm very, very tired, Trini."

"So am I," she said.

He took her hand in his. "The days of battling the enemy are supposed to be far behind us."

A small chuckle escaped her lips. "That's true. But, you know what, Billy? As crazy as it sounds, I wouldn't mind a dose of Rita or Zedd right now."

"That's not so crazy. I understand exactly what you mean," he said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

I guess I'll get started on dinner," Trini said, standing.

* * *

"Are you okay?" 

Kimberly looked over to her right to see her husband standing in the doorway to their house- it was now almost midnight. He was looking at her in concern. She gave a small smile. "Hey." Jason lifted his eyebrows, then, stepped out onto the porch and sat down next to his very pregnant wife.

"You've been out here for a long time," he said.

"Yeah. I can't stop thinking about Tina," she said. He nodded in absolute understanding and she sighed deeply. "I just can't believe this happened to her, Rex. My mind keeps going back to the kidnapping and how she revealed who she really was... she_ saved_ Trini and me. She didn't deserve this."

"You definitely won't get an argument from me. Billy and Trini don't need it, either. They don't need any paranoia," Jason said.

"No, they don't," Kimberly said. Then, she smiled. "But, ya know, in spite of all of this mess, I'm still really happy that they finally got it right and got together. They're more than perfect for each other."

"What would you have done if they'd taken even longer to make it happen?" Jason asked, unable to resist teasing.

"I would've come up with something," she said, mock serious.

"Like locking them in a room together?" he quipped.

"You know me better than I know myself, Red Dragon. Scary," she said- causing him to laugh. Then, she patted him on the knee and took a deep breath. "Why don't we go in and get some sleep?" He nodded, then, stood- helping her to her feet as he did so.

'_Rest_ _in peace, Tina_,' Kimberly silently told the late detective as she led the way into the house.

* * *

Rocky and Katherine DeSantos were in their bed on Saturday morning, just lying in each others' arms. They'd woken up fifteen minutes ago and weren't quite ready to get up. If it were up to the two of them, they'd never move. Katherine looked up and smiled at her husband- whom began gently caressing her arm. 

"Today's our three-month anniversary," she said.

"Yeah. It is, isn't it?" he said with a smile. They both knew that three months wasn't really a big deal and, yet, it was to them. Every day, every hour was a huge deal to them. They'd definitely been enjoying this "honeymoon" phase tremendously.

"I don't wanna spoil the mood, but, it's just so awful what happened to Tina," Katherine said with a sigh.

"I'm with you on that one, ballerina. I mean... she was only doing her job," he said.

"Even though it was no accident, it really makes you think about life. About how important it is to treasure every single second of it," she said.

"And every person in it," he said.

"Definitely," she agreed.

"Kat, I promise you right now that I'll always try my best to never, ever take you for granted," he said seriously.

"That goes both ways. I love you, Rocky. I really do," she said softly.

"I love you, too," he said, pulling her closer to him.

* * *

"Are you certain you wanna go _out_ for dinner?" Billy asked that evening. 

"More than certain. Billy, I don't wanna live in paranoia. Besides, we can't stay cooped up anyway. That's just giving whomever killed Tina the upper hand," Trini said. "And at least it's an early dinner. We don't have to stay out too long."

Billy thought for several moments. Trini was right. Besides, even though it was obvious that the killer was dangerous, Billy and Trini weren't exactly lacking in the self-defense department. Trini lay a hand on his arm and he locked eyes with her.

"The diner's only a few blocks away," she said gently. In all honesty, she wasn't very afraid. It was a little hard to feel fear when she and Billy were together. She'd been spooked at first, but, now... well, she couldn't give the enemy what they wanted- which was her fear. It may've seemed foolish or even plain stupid, but, she and Billy were neither.

"You're absolutely right. Confining ourselves to our apartments would be giving them the upper hand," he said.

She nodded. It rarely happened, but, she was quickly losing patience. She was close to saying: "Enough." She couldn't really explain it, but, there was just something inside of her... deep in her brain... in her heart... that was urging her to, well, go out. It seemed kind of absurd, but, something or_ someone_ seemed to be telling her that whatever happened, in the end, she and Billy would come out of the smoke holding hands.

"I'll drive," she said.

Minutes later, the couple was in Trini's car- buckling their seatbelts. Billy was well aware of the odd calmness emanating from his girlfriend. Before he could say anything, a noise was heard from the back. The couple instinctively looked over their shoulders to see a blonde man with cold, hard, brown eyes slowly sitting up in the backseat. Their eyes widened and the man spoke up before they could utter a word.

"Don't even bother asking how I got into the car. It's just another specialty of mine. Don't bother asking who I am because you'll find out soon enough. You've got two choices: you're gonna follow my instructions or beg me to let you live. It's up to you," he said, cocking a gun. "Here're my instructions. Drive straight to this cabin I direct you to and no funny shit. Now... you already know the second option."

'_Do as_ _he says_. _Everything will work out in a very unexpected way_,' an all-too-familiar voice reassured Trini silently. Figures that's who the "someone" would be. She nodded, then, turned the key in the ignition.

* * *

**Endnote:**

**_Now, just go along with me on this, folks..._**


	25. Chapter 25

**Author's Note: **Well, everyone, we've **finally** reached the end of the road. Yes, it's the **last** **chapter **of "**Kindred Spirits**". All good things must come to an end... . I'd just like to say thanks so very, very much for the amazing support you all have shown me throughout this fic. I enjoyed writing it as much as you enjoyed reading it.

**I hope y'all like the ending**.

**Now, on with the show**...

* * *

"All right. Get out of the car," the blonde man ordered harshly a little while later. "And, again, no funny crap." He and the two former planet defenders got out of the car. "Now, we're going into the cabin. You two'll lead and I'll follow. Come on. Let's move it. I get really pissed when I have to wait for even a second."

When they entered the cabin, Trini and Billy noticed a bald, African-American man sitting in a chair. He smirked. Trini smiled brightly. "Hi. We're Trini Kwan and Billy Cranston." Billy looked at her in disbelief while the two guys looked annoyed. She shrugged casually. "I just thought a proper introduction would be nice. What are your names?"

"What does it matter?" the bald man said.

"I guess it doesn't. I just wanted to know," she said in a hurt tone, dropping her head.

The two guys looked at Billy- whom silently decided to play along and shrugged. "She's always had this strange fascination with names. She likes to discover their meanings. It's a hobby she's had since she was six."

"Weird chick. Well, whatever. I'm Mark and that's Jamal," the blonde guy said.

Trini's head snapped up. "Mark and Jamal? Mark and Jamal? Really? Mark is Billy's middle name! And we've got a good friend named Jamal. Small world... wait. Wait a second. You guys killed that detective, didn't you? Tina Richards. I can feel it in my bones. You guys killed her."

"Ding, ding, ding!" Jamal said with a laugh as he stood and clapped.

Mark chuckled. "You're damn straight we did, name lover."

Trini looked around. "And now we're here- at Steve's cabin. You brought us here to Steve's cabin to kill _us_. It's actually the perfect place to do it. And it's gorgeous. Steve brought me here once. We spent the whole day here. I like that it's located right outside of Stone Canyon- and that gas station a few blocks away is very convenient. Which one is it again, Billy? Chevron?"

"Texaco," he said lightly.

"Texaco always makes me wanna be in Texas. You know what Chevron always-" Trini was saying.

"Who cares?" Jamal yelled.

"Yeah, shut up already! Geez!" Mark said, looking at her in irritation.

"I'm sorry. I know I should be scared, but, this is so much like a movie, I think it's interesting. By the way, green is a great color on you, Jamal. And Mark... well, that blue goes pretty well with your shade of blonde. Wow. For criminals, you guys sure do know how to dress," Trini said. Mark lifted his hand and aimed the gun at her. She quickly brought her foot up and kicked it out of his hand.

"What the f-" he began, but, stopped abruptly when Billy stepped forward and swiftly caught the "flying" gun in his hands.

When Jamal moved to retrieve his own gun from behind him, Trini hurried forward and kneed him as hard as she could in the family jewels. When he grunted and doubled over, she grabbed the gun, he lifted his head, she took a step back and punched him in the face. He hit the floor, groaning and cursing her.

Mark sneered at Billy- who had the gun aimed at him. "You don't have the guts. You don't have it in ya."

"I wouldn't wager my life on that if I were you. I'm capable of surprising even myself at least every five seconds or so," Billy said.

"Is that right?" Mark said before charging towards Billy- who gave him a nice uppercut. He grunted when he hit the floor. He glared murderously up at Billy. "Neither of you have it in you! We took out that cop bitch and we're gonna do the same to you! It's for Steve, dammit!" he yelled irately. He managed to scramble to his feet before Billy could react, knock the gun out of the former blue ranger's hand and tackle him down to the floor. The two man began rolling around and started up a series of punches, kicks, shoves... .

Just as an angry Jamal was about to grab Trini's ankle, the door burst open.

"Police! Freeze!"

* * *

Trini and Billy watched- a few minutes later- as a handcuffed, incredibly furious Jamal and Mark were led towards waiting squad cars. One of the officers- a dark-haired man- looked back at Trini and nodded once. He smiled approvingly. 

"Good work, Miss," he said, then, resumed walking.

Billy looked at Trini and she smiled.

"When we were getting out of the car, I called the police. It wasn't even premeditated. I just looked down at my cell phone clipped to my waist and was suddenly hit with a feeling. I just dialed the number. So, needless to say, they were listening to everything and well... it's all over now," she said.

"I suspected you were up to something. Trini, that was brilliant!" Billy exclaimed, looking at her in admiration. "It's also great that there were cops nearby."

"I guess that was just sheer luck. But, brilliant? That's high praise, William _Mark_ Cranston," she teased- causing him to laugh. She shook her head. "I can't believe they didn't even think to search us. What kind of criminals are they?"

"Well, I wouldn't say "stupid" exactly. But, it's pretty evident that they weren't very bright. I should've guessed you'd contacted the police when they arrived the way they did. But I was a little busy "rumbling" with a raving maniac," Billy said- causing her to laugh. Then, they headed off towards Trini's car, hand in hand.

'_Thanks_, _Zordon. You were right_,' she said silently.

* * *

"Can I dance with the bride?" Zack said one year later. "Come on, Tri. You know you haven't danced until you've danced with the Zackman." 

Trini and Billy laughed. Their wedding reception'd been going on for about twenty minutes now. Aisha sat a table- playing with her and Zack's six-month-old daughter Raven. Jason and Kimberly were at the next table with their eleven-month-old son Jeff. Katherine- whom was now two months pregnant- and Rocky were on the dance floor. So were Adam, Tanya, Tommy and Trisha- among other couples.

Trini grinned at Zack. "Let's cut a rug, Zackman."

A short while later, Billy and Trini were on the dance floor- swaying slowly to a love ballad. The newly married couple smiled harmoniously at each other. They were on cloud nine. Actually, neither of them really knew how to describe the emotions and sensations coursing through them at this very moment.

"It's been an interesting ride, hasn't it?" she said.

"Interesting is an understatement," he said with a laugh.

"That's true. I think we can write a book about this. Do you think it'd sell?" she said, a teasing glint in her eyes.

"Of course. Then, we'll buy a summer home," he said, smiling.

"Maybe a Ferrari or four," she quipped. They both laughed, then, she looked at him seriously. "In a way, I'll always be grateful to Steve. He was a path that led me straight to you."

"That fills me with more than gratitude. I'm going to spend my life with an amazing woman. I love you, Trini," he said. They shared a long kiss.

"I love you, too, Billy," she said before gently laying her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes.

* * *

**Endnote**: 

**Again, thanks for the support you all showed this story- and me. **


End file.
